Vows Made in the Storm
by Silver Inklett
Summary: Maybe they wouldn't have been each other's first choice, but with unrest rocking her throne and war wrecking his lands, she figured that her mother could have picked worse. [Arranged Marriage au]
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts._

* * *

Gajeel had learned a long time ago that if his father wanted to give him bad news, he always tried to lead with something good.

When Laxus had come back from his several year long journey and moved back into the castle, Metalicana had gifted Gajeel with a new sword (which had quickly been taken away when said sword had been hurled at Laxus's head and had embedded itself in a six-hundred-year-old tapestry).

When his hunting dog, Bane, was killed by a boar, Gajeel had received new leather armor.

When his mother was declared missing when Gajeel was thirteen, they spent a day together flying through the canyons in the western region of their kingdom.

So when Metalicana walked in with that warm smile of his, holding a package in his hands, the prince just sighed.

"What bribe do you bring me this time?" Gajeel asked, watching as his father came into the room and set the package on the table. Gajeel had been studying different maps, trying to track the Pergrande army's movements and work out their next stage of attack, but he had a feeling that his strategy session would have to be put on hold.

"You make it sound like I only bring you nice things when I have bad news," the king said with a small smirk, looking over Gajeel's shoulder and moving one of the pieces on the map ever so slightly.

"When's the last time you gave me a gift without a catch?" Metalicana opened his mouth, but Gajeel leveled a look at him. "Holidays and birthdays don't count," he added.

"I can take it back you know."

"Oi, I didn't say I didn't _want_ the bribe."

Metalicana chuckled, pushing the box towards his son. "Open it up," he urged, and Gajeel couldn't help but grin, cutting the string that bound the paper box closed with a quick swipe of the knife he pulled from his belt. He couldn't entirely ignore the growing feeling of dread, but he sure as hell could try.

He reached into the box carefully, and he didn't even need to pull out the contents before he knew what it was. The dread was back full force now, because there was only one reason why his father would be giving him a new crown.

"No."

"Now, Gajeel-"

"Father," Gajeel groaned, falling back into his chair. "Send one of the others. I can't be distracted by political stuff right now. Pergrande is getting closer everyday-"

"Gajeel," Metalicana said with a weary sigh, sitting across from his son. "It has to be you," he said, and Gajeel looked at him warily.

"This… isn't the normal political trip, is it?" he asked, and the older man wouldn't meet his eyes. Gajeel sat upright, eyebrows furrowed. They were in the middle of a war, and with Gajeel helping direct their resources and troops amongst their vast kingdom, his father wouldn't send him away for something trivial. And if he couldn't send one of the other Heirs, that meant it had to be something only a Blood Prince could do. Plus the crown…

The prince's eyes widened.

"**No.**"

"Gajeel, hear me out," Metalicana placated, holding his hands out towards his son, but Gajeel was already out of his chair, pacing the floor.

"_No, _you can't _possibly_-"

"It's not set in stone-"

"Are you fuckin' serious-"

"You just need to meet her-"

"A _MARRIAGE!?" _Gajeel yelled, spinning on his heel to face his father. "Right now, of _all _times!?"

"Gajeel, you know we can't counter Pergrande's army by ourselves for much longer; not with some of the strongest mages in the world at their front lines," the king said calmly, but there was a slump to his shoulders. The war was taking its toll on everyone, and the warmth that once filled the halls of the castle was replaced by a chill that sunk into your bones and refused to leave. King Metalicana seemed to carry most of the burden on his own, and Gajeel had watched over the years as the once proud man had begun to sink into his throne. "Their numbers may be smaller, but they have stronger magic than we do. The Fae of Tenroujima-"

"You want me to marry a _faery_!?"

"I'm asking you to meet her," Metalicana said firmly, pinning Gajeel to the floor with a look. "As I said, nothing's set in stone, and the last thing Titania Ardelle and I want to do is force you two into this. But the way tensions are in Tenroujima right now, a treaty may not be enough to get the people's support. A marriage would not only solidify our ties, but it would help support Ardelle's daughter when she takes the throne."

Gajeel took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair to try and stop their shaking. Objectively, Gajeel knew his father's logic was sound. But he wanted nothing more than to rage and fight and scream. An arranged marriage!? He wasn't even sure if he wanted to _be _married, whether he could choose his partner or not. But he also knew that his father wouldn't be asking this of him unless his hand had been forced.

"What can Tenroujima bring to this war that we can't?" he asked, trying to stay calm. He was a tactician through and through, and he wouldn't agree to anything without looking at the situation from every angle.

"They have an organized militia that they would send to us for help," Metalicana said, and Gajeel could taste magic on the back of his tongue as the king waved his hand over the map spread out on the table, three new pieces joining the ones already on the boards. Between the snarling visage of a dragon frozen in mid-roar and a man with several staffs shoved into the base of the piece, stood three identical young women with their wings wide spread, their tails trailing behind them.

"Their magic is stronger than any mage's," Metalicana continued, picking one of the pieces up and inspecting it. "Not to mention their warriors are trained practically from birth, and are skilled in both weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Igneel says that even the princess was already on her way to being an accomplished swordswoman the last time he saw her."

"Igneel hasn't been to that island in nearly five years," Gajeel said, grudgingly going back to his seat, sitting back down across from his father. He rubbed at his jaw, scratching the stubble growing there.

"I've been in conference with the Titania herself; she offered us all a place to stay so we could meet with her warriors-"

"While I meet the princess." Gajeel hung his head in his hands. After a few silent moments, a large hand rested on Gajeel's back, gently scratching between his shoulder blades.

"Son," Metalicana started softly, "I know I'm asking a lot of you." Gajeel snorted. _That was an understatement._ "But I wouldn't be asking if this wasn't the best chance we had. This war had been going on for nearly twenty years; the people can't take it anymore. We're losing more territory every day, and even more of our soldiers." Metalicana knelt in front of Gajeel, meeting his eyes evenly. "I'm asking you, both as my son and as the Blood Prince of Fiore, to at least try. If you and the princess _absolutely_ can't stand each other, then we'll make due with a treaty, but this is our best chance." He moved his hands to his son's shoulders, squeezing them gently. "Please."

Gajeel was silent for a few moments before putting one of his hands over his father's. "It can't be one of the others?" he asked again, but there was no questioning the tone of defeat in his voice. "Igneel's the ambassador, why not have Natsu marry her?"

"The Fae won't view it as a proper union since he's not related to me by blood," Metalicana said with a shake of his head. "It has to be you." Gajeel sighed, pushing his hair back out of his face.

"... I'll meet her," he said, looking up at his father. "I don't promise anything, but I will agree to meet her." Metalicana sighed, squeezing Gajeel's shoulders again. It looked like a small weight had lifted from his shoulders, and when he stood back up Gajeel believed that the king was standing just a little taller

"Thank you. I'll go find someone to bring your lunch," he said, patting Gajeel on the back. "You've been in here for hours, you know!"

"You don't need to trouble yourself," Gajeel said, unable to keep a grin off his face at the sight of his father's own smile. "I'll just go get something when I'm done with this."

"By the time you're done with that, it'll be midnight," Metalicana said with a smirk. "I'll find someone." With that, Metalicana walked back out into the hall, and Gajeel was left with his maps, a crown, and his own thoughts.

Looking at the map for a few long moments, Gajeel sighed, reaching past the new models to the box his father had given him. He brought it to his lap, reaching inside and pulling out the crown that earlier he had been afraid to touch. All the Heirs had crowns, whether for special events, ceremonies, or just to show their rank; but where those crowns were typically simple, metal bands inlaid with intricate carvings, this one was closer to the king's. It was made of high-quality iron, and it warmed pleasantly against Gajeel's hands. He stared at it for a few long moments before setting it down on the table, pressing his face into his hands.

An arranged marriage. He never thought it would come to this, not ever. People like him, those with the blood and magic of dragons still running through their veins- they mated for life. If this marriage ended up working out, not only would he be giving up his chance at being with his mate - if he ever found them -, but he'd be losing his chance at his father's crown. The thing he'd be reaching for his whole life, what he'd spent years preparing for.

The next king - _"or queen"_ Wendy's voice rang in the back of his head - would be chosen from the Heirs, seven in total this generation; but if Gajeel was married to the future Titania, his claim to the throne was null and void. The crown his father had given him felt like a mockery now, a reminder of what he may never have a chance to get.

Gajeel stood up sharply, the legs of his chair screeching against the stone floor, and he was about to scoop up the crown and throw it across the room with a roar when the large wooden doors swung open. He froze, expecting to see his father coming back to scold him, but instead was met by the bright smile of the youngest Heir.

"I brought lunch!" Wendy sang, trotting happily into the room with a tray clutched in her hands and her lynx kitten tagging behind her. Wendy gently maneuvered the tray around his maps, setting it down on one edge of the table before grabbing his hand and dragging him over. "Chef made your favorite!" she said, still smiling brightly. "Meat stew with some really delicious nut bread that Charle made this morning!" She gently shoved him into the seat, putting the spoon in his hand before propping her chin up on her fists, watching him with a smile.

Gajeel blinked owlishly at his cousin, barely registering as her lynx Aerwyn rubbed against his leg. Wendy just kept smiling, pointedly looking at the food she brought in until Gajeel mumbled a "Thank you" and started eating. He hadn't known how hungry he was until he started eating, and it didn't take long for most of the stew to disappear. He had almost forgotten Wendy was there when she nudged his shoulder gently, gesturing towards the table.

"Did Natsu make you some more figures?" she asked, picking one of the faeries up and perching herself on the arm of his chair. "Wait, no, Uncle?" she amended when she felt the smooth metal surface, unlike the clay pieces Natsu had carefully sculpted and painted for Gajeel's 24th birthday gift. Gajeel nodded, and she hummed, looking it over and carefully running the tip of her finger across the edge of the faery's wings. "And the crown?" she asked, not looking up, and her cousin groaned.

"Father tell you?" he asked flatly, covering his face with one hand.

"Erik, actually," Wendy admitted, and Gajeel looked at her through his fingers with a quirked eyebrow.

"He's back?" he asked, sitting upright. Cobra had been out trying to work out an important treaty with the demons of Galuna Island last time Gajeel had heard from him, so why had Metalicana called him back?

"He got here this morning," Wendy said, setting the figure down to pick up the crown. "Apparently Galuna Island has agreed to the treaty, so he got Uncle's message to head back when he was already halfway home." She looked the crown over with the same critical eye she had with the figure, only this time instead of setting it back down on the table when she was done, she carefully set it on his head. Regarding her work with a tilt of her head, Wendy grinned. "It fits well," she said happily, but Gajeel ignored her comment.

"Why is he calling Cobra back?" he asked, and Wendy pouted at him.

"Are you not going to say anything about the crown?"

"_Wen."_

"Fine, fine," she huffed. "He's calling everyone back. Natsu, Erik, even Sting and Rogue. The only one not coming back is Laxus, and that's because no one knows how to contact him. Uncle didn't say why, but it's probably because he knows that if you left to go meet this princess without them, they'd revolt in a childish and violent manner."

Gajeel groaned, sliding further down in his chair. "Just what I need," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Having to watch over them while trying to make a good impression at the same time." Wendy turned so that she was facing him, snatching a roll from his tray.

"... So he's really making you do this?" she asked in a small voice, and Gajeel's eyes snapped towards her; watching as she fiddled with the roll and refused to meet his eye. The prince sighed and tugged on a long strand of her hair until she looked at him, bumping his forehead against hers.

"Hey, nothing's happening yet," he rumbled, grinning at her weakly. "I just have to meet her, and if I make a good impression, then the real talk about marriage begins. But for now it's just an idea. It will all be fine, I promise." She wasn't fooled by his subpar speech, but she gave him a small smile for his efforts. "There you are," he said with a smile. "Now, give me back my bread," Gajeel deadpanned, holding out his hand and raising an eyebrow.

"You weren't eating it!" Wendy huffed, a playful grin stretched across her lips.

"Well, I want to eat it now! Hand it over, you little thief!" He made a grab for the roll, frowning when she held it out of his grasp, grinning cheekily at him. A playful growl started low in his throat and he went for it again, Wendy laughing as she tried to keep her balance and keep the roll away from him. She started slipping back, but Gajeel's arm was already around her, hauling her over his shoulder as he stood up. Aerwyn _mraow_ed loudly at him as he carried a laughing Wendy around the room, bracing her legs against his chest as she hung upside down over his shoulder.

"Hmm, what should I do with the little thief, eh beastie?" Gajeel asked the lynx, grinning as Wendy tried to beat her fists against his back, her demands to be let down buried under her shrieking laughter. "I think we've an open cell in the dungeons…"

"Let me down!" Wendy said, still giggling. "You didn't even let me ask you the question I wanted to!"

"You didn't let me finish my lunch. Fair is fair," he said, shrugging and making his cousin bounce on his shoulder. It took her a few moments to prop herself upright, during which time she pulled his hair more times than he thought was necessary, but soon she was up, her silver circlet sitting crooked on her head. She had dropped the roll at some point, and Gajeel was fairly certain he had accidentally stepped on it. Oh well, he didn't care about the wasted food so much as getting a smile back on his cousin's face.

"Will you forgive me for taking your roll if I take you flying?" Wendy asked, smiling brightly. Gajeel pursed his lips, carefully setting the younger woman back down and fixing her circlet.

"I don't know, Wen," he said. "I've got to work on the-"

"You've been working all day, and you just got some upsetting news," Wendy interrupted, tugging on his arm. "Come on, please? Just a little flight?" She pouted up at him, lower lip trembling and Gajeel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The day Wendy learned she could talk him into just about anything with that look was the end of peace.

"... Fine, one flight!" he said, unable to keep a grin off his face when Wendy beamed up at him. "Just a short one though."

"Yay!" Wendy cheered happily, tugging him down so she could press a kiss to his cheek. He made an exaggerated expression of disgust that she smacked his stomach for, and after grabbing the last roll to snack on, he followed her out into the halls. The sconces that lined the hall had been lit while he was in his study, and Gajeel noted how the flames reflected light off the curved, stone walls. He could still remember when Natsu was just a kid and would set himself and Wendy up in one of the darker halls, making the flames dance and jump and tell complex stories with the shaky shadows. His control had gotten better over the years, but he still only told the same story that he had since he was eleven.

He was a brilliant fighter and craftsman, but his storytelling left a lot to be desired.

The castle was built into a large mountain, carved out eons ago by the first Draygn King. Gajeel knew the story behind almost every scratch and chip in the stone walls, and sometimes, if he was very quiet, he could hear the whispering voices of the Draygns that came before him. In recent years, however, the once comforting halls had become almost choked with the ghosts of the past. Gajeel could still smell his mother's perfume everywhere.

As the two Heirs made their way towards the main gates, various servants and attendants stopped and bowed to them, small smiles on their faces. Wendy smiled brightly at all of them, stopping to make conversation with a few, but Gajeel just nodded his head in greeting.

"Wen, if you keep stopping to talk, we're never going to get out of the castle before the sun sets," Gajeel said after the fifth stop, smiling wryly at his cousin.

"Okay, okay," Wendy relented, trotting back to his side. "I'm just being polite."

"I think they'll understand if you just return their 'hello's instead of asking for their life stories."

"Maybe if it were you."

"_Oi-"_

"Charle, we're going flying!" Wendy yelled over her cousin's protests, waving at her handmaiden as they passed the kitchens. Jerking her head up with a sharp movement, Charle regarded the two critically. Gajeel had to resist the urge to laugh at the sight the young woman made in her flour-covered clothes and with her arms elbow deep in dough. Her kinky white hair was pulled back into a messy bun on the very top of her head, a few stray curls standing out brightly against her dark skin.

"Don't forget to wear your coat, Princess!" she called, giving Wendy a stern look. Charle was only 5 years older than Wendy, but she acted like a mother to all the Heirs. Gajeel had been cowed by her multiple times before, and he was always a little more grateful for the fact that he had outgrown the need for a nanny after their encounters.

"I will!" Wendy reassured, blowing a kiss at her handmaiden before continuing on. It only took them a few more minutes to reach the large front gates, and after pulling on their fur-lined coats - and hand-knit mittens in Wendy's case - they pressed on into the cool, fall afternoon. The temperatures were dropping quickly, and Gajeel distantly wondered what the weather would be like on Tenroujima. He knew from his lessons that the island was known for its constant warm temperatures, so it would probably never get colder than Fiore was now, even in the thick of winter.

It was ridiculous that Gajeel could feel homesick before he even left, but the thought of never enjoying the sharp cold and bright snowfall of a Fioran winter made his heart constrict.

"Gajeel, we're almost to the cliffs." The Blood Prince snapped out of his thoughts, looking down at his cousin and smiling. It felt stiff and wooden on his face, but Wendy didn't seem to notice, and that was what was most important.

"Race ya'," he challenged, and the two Heirs raced for the cliff with loud whoops. Gajeel's legs were longer, but Wendy was a fast little thing, so they both jumped off the cliff at the same time. The wind tugged on his coat and hair roughly as he dropped towards the ocean in a freefall, and Gajeel let the sharp air fill his lungs before roaring happily. He loved this part, feeling gravity tugging on him and bringing him towards the freezing water at terrifying speeds.

He let the magic gathering at the base of his spine loose, and a familiar feeling of all his limbs falling asleep and waking back up with a moderately uncomfortable stretch rolled over him like water. A few moments later his wings caught the wind, and the now-dragon twisted up, leaving gravity and his responsibilities behind as he and Wendy climbed above the clouds.

* * *

The ship first arrived on the horizon just after lunch, slowly making its way closer to the island. Uncle Makarov predicted that the ship would reach the shore by midday, and Levy was curled up in her window seat, watching it get closer and closer. The sails were a dark, rust red, the Fioran flag waving proudly from the tallest mast, and Levy wondered how close the ship would have to be before she could manipulate a gust of wind strong enough to rip the damn thing off.

"Levy, please," Lucy asked, hands on her hips as she stared at the princess's back. "Your mother is going to be up here soon, and _I'm_ going to have to be the one to explain why you aren't ready."

"She already knows," Levy said flatly, not looking away from the boat that was now so close she could see the crew scrambling about the deck. Occasionally there was a glimmer that caught her eye, and she'd watch one of the crowned Fiorans run around the deck, wondering if they were the Blood Prince or just one of the other Heirs. So far she'd counted four out of seven, and one of the ones Levy had found had been female, so she was out. The other three had been trying to shove each other over the prow for the past ten minutes, and Levy's already low expectations sunk even further.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself for the thousandth time that if she was rude to King Metalicana or the Heirs, she could potentially cut all ties between their countries, and then they'd all be in trouble.

'_I must not offend the visiting royalty. I must not offend the visiting royalty.'_

Lucy sighed, her wings ruffling against her back before she joined Levy at the window. "So, have you spotted him yet?" she asked, looking down at the boat curiously.

"I'm not sure," the princess admitted, sighing. "I've only been able to pick out four of them, and one was a little girl, and the other three…"

The two fae heard a splash and loud cheering from the boat, and Levy sighed, rubbing her temple. Lucy winced sympathetically. "I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems," she offered, and Levy gave her an incredulous look.

"Lu, I am practically being offered on a silver platter to some man I've _never met," _ Levy started, tugging nervously on her tail as she spoke. The blue hairs at the end started to frizz and tangle the more she carded her fingers through the strands. "I mean, my mother had to find a suitor from another country. What does that say about me?" What would happen if it didn't work?

"That Fae don't like princesses with frizzy tails?" Lucy joked weakly, sighing when Levy turned and frowned at her. "Levy, nothing's wrong with you," she said softly. She gently took Levy's tail in her hands, carefully smoothing out the ruffled fur and the longer hair at the tip.

"We both know that's a lie," Levy said quietly, watching as her handmaiden/best friend continued to pet her tail; the soft, repetitive motion helping to calm her nerves. Once Lucy was satisfied, she brought over Levy's jewelry box, opening it up and digging around for the cuff that went around her tail. She worked in silence for a while before looking up at Levy with an encouraging smile.

"Well if people can't see what an amazing person you are, it's their loss, Levy," she said, tugging playfully on Levy's tail and startling a laugh out of her friend. "I can't imagine how scary this must all be, but you've always been good at making the best out of a bad situation. Who knows? Maybe the Blood Prince will turn out to be the man of your dreams," she cooed, gracefully draping herself against Levy's shoulder and pressing the back of her hand daintily to her forehead. She fluttered her long eyelashes before winking and Levy's laughter bubbled out of her, the sound easy and light. She hadn't felt this at ease all week, and she was determined to enjoy it while she could.

"Love? Are you ready?"

Well, that hadn't lasted very long at all.

Lucy shot up as Titania Ardelle stepped into the room, the blonde faery kneeling and keeping her head low both out of respect and to hide the embarrassed blush across her cheeks. Levy didn't move, simply watching her mother as she started making her way towards the window.

"Levy, why aren't you ready?" Ardelle asked, the exasperation in her voice making it clear that she already knew what Levy's answer would be.

"I'm hoping that if I pretend this is not happening, it will actually be true!" Levy said with mock-enthusiasm, looking back out the window in time to watch the large ship arrive at the dock. A shudder went down her back as thick magic flooded her senses, the island alerting her towards the newcomers' arrival. If nothing else, Levy could take solace knowing that Tenroujima would never let any harm come to her.

She heard her mother gently dismiss Lucy before delicate fingers ran through Levy's long hair, gently working the tangles out of the blue curls. "Love-" Ardelle started, but Levy groaned.

"_Matim_, we have been over this already," Levy said, feeling tears pressing against the back of her throat. "I'll go through with it, it is my duty. It does not mean I have to _like _it. I just..." She hugged herself, tangling her fingers into the fabric of her blouse. "I don't want to talk about it anymore," Levy murmured.

Ardelle was silent for a few moments before gently nudging the princess over, sitting down before pulling Levy into her arms. She didn't fight it, just let herself get tucked into her mother's protective embrace as some of the first tears began to fall.

"I'm right here," Ardelle whispered, and Levy was too close to miss the way the Titania's voice caught on her own tears. "I'm right here for you, love. I know this is hard."

"This won't work," Levy whispered. "I don't know if I can do this."

Ardelle inhaled deeply, hugging Levy closer. "All you can do is try, love. But one failed marriage will not ruin Tenroujima," she promised, but the words felt empty. The unrest and distrust amongst the fae was the greatest it had been in ages, and the Titania and princess couldn't do anything to fix it, not when they were what the others were so torn about. Having the might of a great nation like Fiore at Levy's back when she took the throne would prove as both a reassurance to those who that sided with the royal family and a warning to those who wanted to see that the crown never sat on Levy's head.

After all, who wanted a half-fae with gimpy wings and an unknown parentage on the throne?

"Would you like me to braid your hair?" Ardelle asked, and Levy just nodded, not trusting her voice. Her mother shifted so that she was sitting behind Levy, pulling her long, blue curls back as the Titania started to work her way through the thick strands, leaving Levy's bangs to hang in front of her eyes. Levy couldn't help but giggle as several wispy strands of hair brushed against her wings, the small appendages fluttering at the stimulation.

Where most faery's wings brushed the floor when relaxed - more than large enough to support their own weight and be able to lift the fae into the air in graceful arcs - Levy's upper wings were barely longer than her forearm, the tiny lower wings unable to even curl around her hips. At this point in her life, Levy was just grateful that her deformities had stopped above her hips, and that her tail was still as long and soft as her mother's.

Ardelle hummed as she worked, making several smaller braids before starting to plait her daughter's hair into a complex lattice, working in strands of beads and colorful ribbons. Levy was observing the Fioran ship, watching as the small figure she recognized as her Uncle Makarov approached the group on the dock. It wasn't hard to recognize King Metalicana, with his large frame and the distinctive, yet simple, crown on his head. She leaned over to get a better look, but her mother gently steered her back upright.

"Stay still, love, or I'll mess up and have to start all over," she chastised gently, a smile curling across her dark lips.

"Yes, _Matim_," Levy said with a pout, trying to catch a glimpse of her potential betrothed. She could make out another large figure with the king's build and a similar crown, but she couldn't make out any distinct features from her window.

"Have you ever met the Blood Prince?" she asked her mother curiously, refocusing on the wall in front of her.

"Prince Gajeel?" Levy hummed an affirmative. "Once, when he was younger," Ardelle said, focusing on the repetitive motion of braiding. "Quiet little thing, barely up to my hip. Sweet though, very respectful."

"And how long ago was this?"

"He was about twelve-years-old, I believe."

"And he is how old now?"

"... Twenty-six."

Levy sighed, tugging nervously on her ear. "Let us hope his personality hasn't changed too much," she said softly. They sat in silence for several more moments as Ardelle finished the braid, tying it off with a silk band. She reached for her daughter's jewelry box, but Levy quickly laid her hand on the lid.

"May I go for a walk before I finish getting ready?" she asked, tucking her bangs behind her ear as she turned to face her mother. Ardelle frowned, opening her mouth to say something more, but Levy smiled wryly. "I'll stay away from the palace, I just want to go clear my head. I'll be ready before dinner."

"Love, their traditions are different than ours," Ardelle said. "They may want to meet you early-"

"They came to our island, they will play by our rules," Levy said with a shrug. "Please, _Matim_. I… I need this," she said quietly. Ardelle watched her for a few moments before sighing, brushing her thumb over her daughter's cheek, smiling softly.

"Do not take too long," she said, bumping her forehead against Levy's and making the younger faery giggle. "... Love?"

"Yes?"

"Do not go into this determined to hate him," the Titania said. "I know this is not ideal, and if I could have prevented this-"

"I know," Levy said, taking a deep breath. "It is fine. I'll do what I have to for my people."

Ardelle just pressed her lips together, tilting Levy's head down so she could press a kiss to her forehead. "I'll go greet them all and show them around," she said, smoothing some stray strands of hair down. "Be ready by dinner, or I will call you to the dining hall myself," she threatened, and Levy shuddered. _"Call you myself"_ was her mother's way of saying _"Drag you there with magic"_; an experience that Levy wasn't keen to repeat.

"Yes, _Matim_," she said, nodding her head and giving her mother one last kiss on the cheek before heading out of the room, slipping on her long jacket as she went. Her wings were pressed flat against her back, and though she hated the feeling of her wings being constricted, it was better than the stares she got whenever she left the palace without her jacket. The princess didn't bother to close the door after her, knowing that her mother would be leaving soon to greet the visiting royalty, and Levy wrapped her arms around herself.

She just knew this wasn't going to work. No one wanted a broken faery.

* * *

_*vibrates nervously* So this is a thing. Actually, this is a thing that I've been working on, plotting, and editing for months now, and also the main reason why Aladdin au hasn't updated in nearly a year. _

_Welcome to the Draygn au! I've been plotting this au for nearly a year now, and I'm so excited to finally have the first chapter up and on the web. I have a lot of plans for this au (Right now, it's a series of three fics!), so I hope you guys are ready for a long ride. _

_I'd like to thank a few people who have been vital to this fic's journey to being. Firstly, a huge thank you to _Lionus_, who has helped me plot, replot, cry, and headcanon about this fic since the very beginning. Without her help, this fic wouldn't have made it as far as it has, and I am so grateful for all of her help. Also a big shout out to _feari teiru_, who has also been a huge supporter and has often quieted my nerves about this fic. You're both the best! _vermilioun_ actually read this chapter over for me before posting, and is just such a huge source of inspiration, thank you Emmie! And of course, _laya550_ for being just the best ever. You're super supportive and wonderful and I'm grateful that you take time out of your busy schedule to listen to me ramble lol._

_Updates on this are going to be a little slow going for now, but I'm aiming for once a month. I've got a good chunk of the next chapter written, but I also have all my other fics I need to try and work on, so we'll see what happens. Thank you in advance for reading, and remember that reviewing helps me update faster *winkwonk*._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts._

* * *

"Metalicana!" Gajeel looked up as his father's name was called, warily watching the short man approaching the group of people slowly flooding onto the dock. His wariness turned to confusion as he recognized the man not as one of the fae, but as one of his own countrymen. His white hair was carefully groomed, and his outfit seemed to consist of an eclectic mix of Fioran and Tenrjoujima clothing. He barely came up to Gajeel's chest, but had a large presence that was hard to miss. "How the years have been kind to you!" the man said, laughing happily.

Metalicana grinned widely. "Makarov!" The two men met in the middle of the dock, and Gajeel heard Natsu chuckle loudly as they hugged and Makarov's feet came off the ground. "Brats!" Metalicana yelled once he had set the man back down, and all the Heirs perked up and turned to face him. Juvia snorted delicately at Gajeel's side. "I'd like to introduce you to Ambassador Makarov. He will be helping us work through the negotiations-" Gajeel felt the Heirs look at him "- and make sure you ruffians don't break something with serious cultural significance." Sting huffed, crossing his arms.

"Break an alter _one_ time," he grumbled under his breath, and Metalicana wasted no time in reaching over and cuffing the young Heir upside the head, not looking away from the ambassador.

"How have you been, old friend?" Metalicana asked, still smiling at Makarov.

"I've been well! I see you brought the whole family along!" Makarov looked at all the people coming off the boat, and Gajeel wished he were still still wearing his cloak so that he could pull his hood up and hide from view. They had probably brought more people than socially acceptable; what with nearly all the Heirs coming along, plus their personal handmaidens and servants, and the crew. That was at _least _thirty people, and Gajeel bit back a groan at Makarov's concerned look.

"Laxus isn't with you?"

Wait, what?

"We weren't able to reach him, I'm sorry," Metalicana said with a small frown. Makarov sighed, shaking his head fondly.

"That boy is far too much like his mother, I swear," he said with a short laugh. "She could never stay in one place for too long, either. Oh well, there's always next time!"

"Excuse me, sir," Wendy chimed in shyly. Makarov turned and smiled brightly at the young woman.

"You must be Wendy! Igneel has told me so much about you!" Wendy's cheeks darkened and she smiled gently.

"Um, pardon me for asking, but how do you know Laxus and the Lady Dreyar?" she asked, and Cobra made an interested noise behind her. All the Heirs turned and gave their attention to the short man.

"Ah yes, I imagine he wouldn't have told you," Makarov said serenely. "You see, I'm Laxus's grandfather." All the Heirs turned to stare at the short man in shock, and though the rest of her expression didn't change, Gajeel could see Juvia's eyebrows shoot up into her hairline.

"No fucking way," Sting said, and this time it was Rogue that reached over and cuffed him across the back of his head. "What!?" the Heir hissed. "We're all thinking it!"

Makarov laughed, and Gajeel distantly wondered what it said about their family that none of this behavior seemed to phase the older man at all. "It's quite alright," he reassured. "I've heard worse."

Wow, _that_ wasn't reassuring.

"I'm sure you're all tired from the journey," Makarov continued, gesturing to the island. The Blood Prince had to stifle his groan. It had been a long journey to say the least; a day's trip by horseback to the shore and two days by ship to reach the island, all while Sting, Natsu, and Cobra were doing their best to drive Gajeel _mad. _The flight would have only taken a day, but with so much coming with them and too many people to carry, they had to travel on land. "Let's get you all settled in, shall we?"

Metalicana inclined his head towards Makarov, offering his arm to a grinning Wendy. "I'll trust you to lead the way," he told the Ambassador, and they were off.

"Oh, and don't worry about your ship," Makarov called over his shoulder as they stepped onto the actual island, Gajeel's heavy boots sinking into the fine, pale sand. "We'll make sure everything on the boat is secured and moved to the right rooms."

Gajeel felt his lip curl up in a grin as Juvia puffed up, clearly biting her tongue. As first mate on the _Drakon_, it was typically her job to make sure the ship was well-maintained and cleaned after a long journey like the one from the capital of Fiore to Tenroujima. As long as he'd known her - which was a _very_ long time - Juvia had taken great pride in her ship, and the Blood Prince could only imagine how chuffed she must have been feeling. Gajeel nudged her side with his elbow, leaning down to her height.

"Let them handle it," he murmured. "I need you to come and make sure I don't say something stupid to the princess."

"Isn't that what your cousins are here for?" Juvia whispered back, but didn't hesitate to follow him as the group began to make their way towards the center of the island. Gajeel and Juvia had dropped to the back of the group, and he'd already had to grab Sting and Natsu by the back of their shirts to keep them on the path at least three times each.

Gajeel simply gestured to the two, quirking his eyebrow, and Juvia laughed into her palm. "Point taken."

Gajeel spent the rest of the walk wrangling in his cousins and admiring the scenery. It really was a beautiful island, with lush greenlife decorated with ribbons and wind-chimes, and a more vibrant populace. He had seen drawings of the fae before, and one of Laxus's companions was from the fae's Northern Kingdom, but none of that had prepared him for the people that greeted him now.

They all had tawny skin covered in freckles, darker even than his own, and none of them came up past his eyes in height. There was a startling variance in their wings; some had two sets, one set just about a smaller pair; some had only one pair. They all varied in shape and color, but they all seemed to hang down to the floor. They looked thin and fragile, not nearly strong enough to be able to lift anyone off the ground, but as several fae flew overhead, Gajeel had to admit that they looked rather stable.

He couldn't stop himself from noticing how nearly all of them carried a knife of some sort, and held themselves with an ease and confidence that showed that the rumors of most being trained in combat since childhood were seemingly true. A long-buried part of himself was eager to see how their fighting styles varied from his own, and how well their smaller and lighter frames would hold out against his brute strength-

Gajeel took a deep breath in and focused intently on the architecture of the buildings they passed until he knew the surge of adrenaline had passed.

As Gajeel observed the inhabitants of the island he may very soon be calling 'home', they observed him right back, and he was uncomfortably aware of how many large, vibrant eyes were on him.

"They're all curious to see the princess's new suitor," Cobra intoned from Gajeel's right shoulder, and the Blood Prince jumped in surprise. The other Heir smirked at him.

"Goddamn it, Cobra!" Gajeel growled, punching the snickering man hard in the shoulder. "Don't do that!" Cobra just laughed, seemingly not bothered by Gajeel's punch at all.

"It's not my fault you're being particularly unobservant today," Cobra said with a smirk.

Gajeel growled. "I'm not being unobservant, I'm just-"

"Nervous?"

"I hate when you do that."

"I didn't need to hear your thoughts to know _that," _ the Heir said, and had Gajeel not known Cobra for over ten years, he would have completely missed the concern in the other man's voice. "You're not going to have any skin left if you keep rubbing your neck like that." Gajeel's hand jerked away from his neck and Juvia laughed from his other side.

"Are you going to tell me what they're thinking or not?" the Blood Prince grumbled, refusing to look at either at them. He didn't need to see Cobra's expression to know how smug he was that Gajeel had had to ask him, and he didn't feel like giving him the satisfaction.

"You know I can hear you, right?"

"Erik, I would rather not make my first impression on these people be me trying to commit treason by strangling you where you stand."

Cobra held up his hands in surrender, laughing under his breath. "Just trying to relieve some tension," he placated. "And if you want to know, most people's first thought of you is _'tall'_."

Gajeel couldn't help but laugh at that. Even in Fiore, Gajeel stood taller than most of his countrymen, and he had to admit that watching his father - who was the same height as him - try to navigate around the much smaller fae was quickly becoming his favorite source of amusement.

"Is his height really all they're thinking about?" Juvia asked, still laughing under her breath. Cobra shrugged.

"Most of them don't know what to think of him, honestly. They're a little wary of this whole procession; they're wondering if the engagement is just a ruse for our more diabolical plans." Gajeel had to smother a grin. That had been his father and the Titania's plan; arrive in force to show to people just what their princess's marriage into the royal family of Fiore would mean. It was a power show, meant to reassure those who liked Titania Ardelle and her daughter, and a warning to the others.

Mess with the Titania, and the strongest warriors in Fiore would be waiting on your doorstep, claws bared and lips pulled back over sharpened teeth.

Cobra had that faraway look that he typically had when he was trying to listen to several people at once, so Gajeel didn't bother him again, instead striking up a conversation with Juvia and yanking Natsu away from a food cart full of something Gajeel honestly couldn't identify. They followed Makarov into a large courtyard, and the Blood Prince looked up to see the palace looming over them.

He'd seen it from the boat, the large tree that seemed almost comically disproportionate to the island itself with several buildings twisted around the trunk. It was like a large, ornate treehouse, and Gajeel couldn't deny he was excited to see it all from the inside. It was where he may be living soon, after all.

"You'll have to meet with the Titania before I can show you to your rooms," Makarov called out, every Heir turning to meet his eyes. "Tradition and all. It won't take but a moment!"

At the front of the line, Metalicana laughed. "If Ardelle hasn't changed too much from the last time I visited, then we may not see our rooms until after we've eaten," he said with a fond grin, and Gajeel's eyebrows drew together.

"When did you come here last?" he asked. He could vaguely remember meeting Titania Ardelle before when she visited Fiore to renew the pact between the Draygns and fae, back when he was a child. He mostly remembered being struck silent by her beauty and being fascinated by the piercings that decorated her skin. He would beg to sit next to her at dinner, and she would sneak him her desserts and teach him some phrases in the fae's tongue while his parents were distracted.

"It was a bit after your twelfth birthday, I believe," Metalicana said, looking back at Gajeel and nearly crashing into a woman with bright azure wings. The Heirs all muffled their laughter at the king's clumsiness as he quickly apologized - Wendy hurriedly attaching herself to Natsu's side instead to avoid being crushed - and they were soon moving again (Metalicana now sporting a flower in his hair that had been gifted to him by the fae woman). "Anywhom," he continued, glaring at a still-laughing Sting, "you were visiting with your mother's family at the time, which is probably why you don't remember."

Gajeel nodded, trying to remember which trip to the Inland Isles his father was talking about. They all seemed to run together in a blur of sand and salt water, the memories of his mother's laugh haunting each remembered moment. He always felt closer to her when he was by the ocean, and he wondered - not for the first time - if wherever she may be, she was by the water.

Gajeel spent the rest of their walk to the palace squashing the voice in his head that whispered that she probably wasn't near anything. That she was probably dead.

It didn't take much longer for them to reach the base of the large tree, which Makarov had called the Tenrou Tree. Looking up at it from the bottom, the palace seemed even grander than before; vined walkways bridging golden buildings and archways, twisting in and out of the tree itself like a snake. Many fae were flitting from building to building, foregoing the bridges altogether, and Gajeel distantly wondered why they had been built in the first place before realizing that they were probably built for visitors like himself and for residents like Makarov; helping to ease the strain of running around the island without a faery to help them.

They made good time climbing up towards the center of the structure, fae bowing out of the way as they passed, and Gajeel felt nerves begin to make his stomach churn. In a few moments, he could be meeting his future wife, if all worked according to plan. They stopped in front of a large set of carved, wooden doors; skillfully painted to depict a young faery in what looked like meditation, long golden hair curling out around her. Her circlet was a large, gold band actually inlaid into the wood, and there was a single unpainted portion of the door where a cutlass was balanced across the young woman's lap. It fit into the carving like a scar that would never fully go away, but it seemed to be right at home by the faery, and Gajeel wondered if she was the reason the fae were so well known for their extraordinary sword work.

"That's the first Titania of Tenroujima," Makarov said proudly, gesturing to the doors, "Titania Mavis. She was the one who lead the fae to this island and helped them to settle here. She actually designed this castle!"

"She's amazing," Wendy breathed, eyes wide.

Makarov nodded in proud agreement. "Yes, she was quite remarkable," he said, moving to press his hands to the cutlass with a small grimace (Next to him, Cobra laughed into his palm, and Gajeel made a note to ask him about it later).

The doors to the throne room swung open, and Gajeel nearly felt his jaw drop. The room had been placed in a hollowed-out section of one of the twisted trunks of the tree, with several large windows that were carved out to open the room up to the elements, the smell of salt water and coconuts tickling at his senses. The throne was vastly different from the King's Seat back home, which was molded out of the rock from the mountains and inlaid with various jewels. The Titania's throne was more like a nest of pillows in various shades of gold, blue, and green, silks draped over the pillows and over the wall.

The woman lounging in the throne, however, was by far the most impressive thing in the room.

The Titania looked up, and Gajeel dropped to his knee on reflex, feeling his father and cousins do the same. He made sure to bow like their tutor had taught them so many years ago; down on one knee, his hands pressed together like a prayer and his forehead pressed to the sides of his thumbs.

"Your Majesty, Titania Ardelle," Metalicana said in a low, respectful tone. "We thank you for your kindness and hospitality in letting us in your home. Our well-being is in your hands."

Gajeel snuck a look through his hair as the Titania stood up gracefully. Her skin was dark and freckles covered almost every inch, barring the scar that stood out across the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were a stormy grey, and her hair looked several shades darker than Juvia's. It was twisted and plaited into a complex braid, with her golden circlet woven in. She had several golden piercings, each decorated with some sort of jewel, but the one that stood out the most was the wooden earring that hung from her left ear, a colorful feather dangling underneath. Gajeel had the distant thought that if the Princess looked anything like her mother, then there might be hope for this union after all. He kicked out behind him when he heard Cobra snickering at him, a flush moving across the back of his neck. This whole "Hearing people's thoughts" thing was _really_ annoying when you were being the one listened in on.

"King Metalicana, the _Tetsuryu_ of Fiore," she said in reply, her voice a soft, soothing alto. "I welcome you and your company willingly onto Tenroujima; may you find what you seek on her shores."

After a few moments had passed and the old ceremonial words had drifted out the windows and into the blue sky, a bright, wide smile lit up Titania Ardelle's face. "Oh, get up you old fool," she said with a laugh, picking up her skirts so she could cross the room easier. "It's been far too long since we've seen each other for you to keep being so formal!"

Metalicana pushed himself up with a chuckle, easily catching the faery and hugging her tightly. "It's good to see you again, Ardelle," he said, and she returned his tight hug easily.

"Metalicana, you great lizard, if you didn't have such a good excuse I would smack you for staying away so long," she said with a small grin, and Metalicana's laugh rumbled up to the ceiling. The queen's smile dimmed. "I was sorry to hear about your wife," she murmured, taking a short step back to look up into the king's face. "Voeda was a dear friend to me, and I can only imagine how much you must miss her."

Gajeel felt his heart compress in his chest, and he had to press his forehead harder against his hands to stop their trembling. "Thank you, Ardelle," Metalicana said softly. "I know she thought highly of you." A moment of silence was observed for the missing queen, and then Gajeel felt a hand on his shoulder.

When he looked up, Titania Ardelle was standing above him, her smile wide and bright. "Prince Gajeel, it's been ages!" she said. "Oh, and look how you've grown!" She took his hands and tugged until he was standing. It amused him to see how short the Titania was compared to how impossibly large his memories of her made her out to be. Like Makarov, however, it didn't diminish her presence, and she still seemed to take up most of the space in the room.

"Your Majesty, it's an honor to see you again," Gajeel said, bowing his head to her. She returned the gesture, her delicate fist pressed over her heart, and he smiled a bit at the nod to their culture. It was a comfort to him while he was so out of his element and - yes, Cobra - nervous, and his already high opinion of the Titania only grew.

The corners of his smile tightened as he felt Natsu bouncing excitedly next to him, and Gajeel turned and regarded the younger man with a quirked eyebrow. "What? I wanna say hi!" Natsu said with a grin, only lighting up further when Ardelle's attention turned to him.

"Oh, I'd recognize that grin anywhere," she said teasingly. "You must be Igneel's son. He's told me so much about- oof!" The Titania was caught off-guard as Natsu pulled her into a tight hug, being sure to be careful of her wings but not hesitating to lift her into the air and spin her around.

"Auntie Ardelle!"

Gajeel was going to _kill him._

"Yup, definitely Igneel's," Ardelle said, laughing breathlessly. She smoothed out her skirts once Natsu set her down (even Natsu was taller than the Titania, and he was the shortest of the male Heirs), and looked to the rest of the group. "Now, let's see if I can guess the rest of you," she said, cocking her hip as she pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Rogue, Sting, Cobra, aaand Wendy!" she said, pointing to each Heir as she said their name and looking very proud of herself when no one had to correct her.

"I shudder at the thought of what stories Igneel has been sharing with you that made you so familiar with these brats, despite never meeting most of them," Metalicana muttered, and Ardelle laughed - her smile a bright, warm thing.

"Nothing worse than the stories Iggy has been sharing with you about _my _child, I'm sure," she said, playfully punching the king's shoulder.

"Ah, true. I didn't believe the story about the tropical storm, though."

Ardelle laughed nervously. "That one is actually true," she admitted, and the humor on Metalicana's face was replaced by surprise and a bit of awe. Gajeel felt nerves churning in his stomach. He sincerely hoped that the princess had simply done something silly during a tropical storm, and hadn't _caused it._

"She totally did," Cobra whispered in his ear, and Gajeel would deny the following whimper until the day he died.

"Where is the princess, anyways?" Metalicana asked, clapping his hands together and looking around the room. "I'd feel terrible if we were wasting time gossiping while she was waiting to come in."

The Titania looked at Makarov with a quirked eyebrow. "You didn't tell them about the dinner?" she asked, frowning, and the small man chuckled nervously.

"I was getting to it?" he offered. Ardelle frowned at him, one pierced brow raising even further, and the ambassador coughed awkwardly before turning to the Fiorans. "It's traditional that the family of the intended suitor not meet the princess until dinner," Makarov explained before turning to face Gajeel. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer to meet her, young man."

"That seems a little silly," Rogue murmured under his breath, and this time it was Sting who shushed him. Gajeel couldn't deny that he was a little relieved that he wouldn't have to face the Titania's daughter straight-away. It was hard to make a good first impression while cranky from dealing with his fellow Heirs for three solid days and while smelling of salt water, sweat, and brine.

"Of course," Gajeel said, bowing his head. "We are guests, after all; we'll observe the island's traditions." Ardelle's eyes shined with silent approval, and Gajeel felt his lips pull up in a little smile. If nothing else, it seemed that the Titania still liked him.

"Well, dinner's just after sundown, and I would like to offer you all a tour of the island to help the time pass a little faster!" Ardelle said, gesturing out the window to the colorful island below. Makarov coughed, and she muttered a little "oh!" before her cheeks burned a darker red. "Though, um, I suppose you would like to perhaps settle in a little more before going out. You have just finished a long journey, after all."

Metalicana laughed, and even in the opened room, it seemed to echo. "Those both sound like marvelous ideas, Ardelle," he said, stepping up to the Titania and offering her his arm. "Good to see you haven't changed too much while I was away."

The Titania smiled as she took his arm, somehow still looking larger than life even next to a man twice her size. "The same can be said to you," she teased. She glanced at Gajeel out of the corner of her eye, and Gajeel didn't need Cobra's help to know that she was wondering how much he had changed in the past several years, and if they were all changes for the better.

* * *

Levy had known from a very young age that Tenroujima had a consciousness. Hundreds of years of memories and magic had built up over time, and sometimes Levy could believe that the island had more of a personality than some of the inhabitants. Her tie to the island was stronger than her mother's - probably due to the fact that Levy spent more time on the ground, Lucy would tease - and Levy knew that she could always trust that the island would take care of her.

So when she felt a tug in her stomach about an hour or two into her walk, the princess didn't fight it. Instead, she followed the feeling, politely making her way through the busy market. Some of the fae smiled brightly at her, bowing their heads in recognition and calling out hello's. But others simply ignored her, though she could feel their dark looks aimed at her back when she walked away.

Levy kept her head high, ignoring the tears pressing at the back of her throat.

The tugging got more urgent, and she rolled her eyes as she ducked under the feet of a passing faery that was flying overhead, waving and smiling at them. When the tugging suddenly stopped, Levy did as well, looking around.

She had been led to a large square in the market, free of stalls and with a tall fountain at the center. The flowers that floated in the water had a sharp scent, and Levy's nose wrinkled slightly. It didn't take her long to find who the island had been wanting her to find, and she hurried over to the panicked girl standing by the fountain.

"Excuse me!" Levy called, waving and smiling once she caught the girl's attention. She couldn't have been more than fifteen or so, with long hair left loose around her shoulders and wide, brown eyes. If her style of clothing hadn't marked her as a foreigner, than the silver circlet perched on her head certainly did. "Are you alright?" Levy asked softly, quirking her head to the side.

"I…" the young woman started, before sighing. "No, I'm not," she admitted shyly in a heavily accented voice. "I was going on a tour of the island with the Titania, and I got distracted and now I can't find my family. There's too many strange scents here for me to pick out theirs."

"Oh, so you're a Draygn?" Levy asked, and the girl nodded.

"I'm Wendy, Fourth Heir to the crown of Fiore," she said, giving a little curtsy. Levy pressed her lips together to smother her wide smile, and swept into a bow. Wendy seemed to be very sweet, and Levy already liked her.

"Well then Wendy," she said, peering at the giggling girl through her bangs, "you can call me Levy. Would you like me to take you back to the throne room? You can probably meet up with your family there." Wendy's eyes lit up, and she bounced excitedly on her feet.

"Could you? That'd be so helpful," she said with a grin, and Levy smiled, holding her arm out for the younger girl.

"It would be my pleasure." Levy started to lead the Heir through the streets, making sure to take a bit of a scenic route. She had started to point out different points of interest, but it didn't take her long to realize that Wendy was too busy trying to take it all in to listen to her. Wendy seemed particularly interested in the fae, almost running into solid objects several times as she craned her head back to look at the fae that flew overhead. It wasn't hard to figure out how she had been separated from the rest of the group from Fiore.

"How do they keep from crashing into each other?" she asked, awe in her voice, and Levy giggled.

"Instinct, mostly. Though there have been accidents when someone isn't paying attention," Levy admitted with a grin. "What about you? You can fly as well, right?"

"Yes, but I'm too big in my other form to fly between these buildings, and I never figured out partial transformations," the young woman said. "Very few Draygns can do it. My Uncle Metalicana is the only one I know of."

"Not even the Blood Prince?" Levy asked, trying to sound neutrally curious. She felt a little bad for not telling Wendy that she was the princess of Tenroujima, but she might not have spoken candidly to Levy had she known.

Wendy laughed. "Skies no. His focus is better than say, Natsu's, but it's also a born trait. Some have the capability, some don't."

"Like our tails, then," Levy murmured to herself, humming thoughtfully. Wendy's eyes locked onto Levy's tail, watching as it swayed back and forth in time with the swinging of her hips. With a grin, the faery princess flicked her tail up, tickling Wendy's chin with the long hairs at the end and making the young woman laugh in delight.

"It's beautiful," she told Levy once her laughter died down, smiling brightly. Levy felt her cheeks burn with the compliment.

"I- Thank you," she said with a small smile, and Wendy's smile only grew brighter in response. Their conversations flowed easily as they walked, and before Levy knew it, they were passing through one of the markets closest to the base of the Tenrou Tree. The shops here were a bit more expensive than the wares that could be found in the market where she found Wendy, and Levy distantly wondered where her mother had been leading the Fiorians. Probably towards the grounds where their warriors trained.

"Ooooh!" Levy turned and watched as Wendy looked at a jewelry stall with shining eyes. Her fingers hovered over a gold nose ring with a small sapphire on it, and Levy was about to call out to her when the curtain behind the stall was pushed away.

"I don't think you're quite ready for that particular piece, little one," the stall woman said, and Levy grinned.

"Hello Cana!" she called out, waving as she made over to the two. The taller faery came outside, grinning as she leaned against the table holding various pieces of jewelry.

"Good afternoon, _aabeila," _Cana cooed, reaching over and tugging playfully on one of Levy's loose curls. "Had I known you were giving tours, I would have closed the stall for the day!" Rolling her eyes, Levy rested her hand on Wendy's shoulder.

"It's not a tour," she responded, sticking her tongue out childishly at her friend. "Wendy here got separated from her family and I'm taking her back to the throne room." The younger woman was staring up at Cana in awe, and the princess couldn't exactly blame her. Cana was taller than most of the fae, with long hair half-pulled back in a series of twists and braids, shining in the light of the slowly-setting sun like the sinhalite gems that were set into some of the various pieces on the table. Like all fae, she had several piercings all over - all a brilliant shade of gold and inlaid with topaz gems - but it was only when she turned around to retrieve something from behind her curtain that you could see her most impressive pieces of jewelry.

Four golden hoops lined the top ridges of her wings on either side of her spine, trailing down from just below where they emerged from the dark skin of her back. Wendy inhaled sharply, eyes going wider at the sight of the piercings going right through the delicate, golden membrane of her wings. When Cana turned around she was grinning, and Levy didn't doubt that she had heard the Fioran's little gasp.

"It's a good thing you came around,_ aabeila_," Cana continued, starting to unwrap the package she had pulled out from behind the curtain. "I meant to give this to you at rehearsal this morning, but _Matim_ wanted to give it a second polish and it was either leave without it or be late."

"You were late anyways," Levy said with an exasperated grin, gently ushering Wendy behind the table with her.

"Okay," Cana said with a pout, "late-_er_." She pulled away the last corner of the fabric wrapping, and Levy smiled brightly. Laying on a swatch of dark velvet was a crystal necklace, several square-cut gems set into a golden frame. It looked like long, flowering vines were holding each stone in place, and after having been thoroughly shined and polished by the best jeweler on Tenroujima, it seemed to radiate glittering light. Wendy cooed over it, her eyes reflecting the light with something that looked like hunger.

"Oh Cana, it looks beautiful!" the princess said with a bright smile. She handed the velvet back to Cana and quickly put the necklace on, clasping it together under her braid with practiced ease. The necklace had originally been her great-grandmother Mavis's; passed down from daughter to daughter as they each came of age. "Tell Cornelia that I said thank you!"

"Tell her yourself," Cana said with a smirk, "she's going to be at dinner."

"You're going to the Titania's dinner?" Wendy asked, finally managing to look away from Levy's necklace. She had been practically hypnotised by the sparkling jewels, and Levy wondered if it was part of her dragon-like nature. Cana shoot Levy a confused look, and she realized that Cana didn't know that she hadn't... _enlightened_ Wendy to the fact that she was the princess. She looked at the other faery with a sheepish smile, trying to convey how important it was that Cana not accidentally reveal who Levy really was. The taller woman seemed to understand her, and looked back at Wendy.

"Of course!" Cana sat down on a stool, her tail flicking behind her as she winked at Wendy. "After all, I am performing there tonight," she said.

"There's going to be a performance?" Wendy asked excitedly, and Levy nodded.

"They're going to be doing some traditional dances to welcome your family and to bless the Blood Prince's potential courtship with the Princess," Levy explained, also taking a seat on one of the crates that was stacked by the backroom of the stall. Levy knew that it led to Cornelia and Cana's workshop, and wasn't surprised when their pet island fox, Kieja, came out and greeted her with a small '_yipp'._ "Not to mention there will be music all night, and the dance floor will be opened up to everyone after the main course," she continued, stroking Kieja's fur.

Wendy was practically bouncing in excitement. "It all sounds amazing!" she gushed, and Levy hid her pleased smile behind a few stray curls of hair. She and her mother had been planning this dinner for weeks now, and it was both a large "welcome" party and an opportunity to show off what their little island would be able to bring to this union. Levy's frail wings fluttered under her jacket as Levy got excited for the evening's plans, and she felt nerves slam her anticipation mercilessly back into the ground.

She _needed _to impress Prince Gajeel, underdeveloped wings or not.

"Okay, so you see the palace?" Levy jerked out of her thoughts and watched as Cana moved to stand behind Wendy, bending her knees until she was at the younger woman's height.

"It's a little hard to miss," Wendy said dryly.

Cana grinned. "Oh, I like her. Can we keep her?"

"I'm sure her kingdom will be wanting her back," Levy responded with a smile.

"Anyways," the taller faery said once she was done pouting at Levy, "you see that big island-looking thing on the top?" Wendy nodded. "There's a large amphitheater carved into the top, with plenty of seating for everyone. _That's _where dinner will be held."

"Hope you don't have a fear of heights," Levy teased. Puffing out her cheeks, Wendy turned to face the princess with her shoulders back and head held high.

"Sky dragons do not fear any height," she informed the two fae proudly. She pulled back her hair from the right side of her face, revealing a single feather that had been tattooed just behind her ear and trailing down her neck.

Cana leaned forward and whistled lowly. "That's some impressive ink you've got. It mean something?" she asked, and Wendy nodded.

"It's the symbol of my province. I'm from the Eyrie in the Western Mountains of Fiore," Wendy explained, "and it's traditional that when a Draygn or magic-user comes of age, they get one of their province's symbols as a tattoo. This is just the first one!" She bounced excitedly, smiling off into the distance as she was too lost in her daydreams to focus on anything. "Next year for my birthday I'll get another feather done, and then I'll keep adding on on each birthday until it's complete when I'm twenty."

Levy carefully reached over, waiting for Wendy's nod of consent before pushing her long, dark blue hair behind her ear, revealing the tattoo once more. "It's very beautiful," she told the Heir earnestly, admiring the detail that had been put into the small piece of living art. Tattoos on Tenroujima were little more than art, but she supposed that on the mainland, jewelry and piercings were just decorations and bobbles.

"A pretty piece like that shouldn't be hidden away under all that hair of yours," Cana gently teased, ruffling the Fioran's hair and sending her into peals of giggles. "Here, how about I do your hair up Tenroujima-style for dinner tonight! We can use one of the smaller tail cuffs to hold it back."

Wendy lit up at the suggestion. "Really?" she asked. "You would do that for me?"

"Why, of course!" Cana stood and gave Wendy a little curtsey before walking over to the table and inspecting the jewelry she had on display. "Consider it a welcoming gift to visiting royalty."

"Do we have time?" the Heir asked Levy, concern for her family twisting her mouth into a small, nervous frown, and Levy nodded.

"The walk to the throne room is only about ten minutes from here, and Cana's very fast," she reassured. They both turned when Cana made a small, satisfied noise as she held up a wide silver cuff, lapis lazuli carefully laid to look like a faery's wing pattern in the middle.

"How old did you say you were, Wendy?" Cana asked.

"Fourteen?"

"Okay, so silver will still be good," she said with a nod, placing the cuff in Wendy's hand. The Draygn cooed over it, eyes sparkling.

"It's so pretty," she sighed.

"It's yours," Levy said with a smile, looking at Cana and mouthing _"I'll pay you back later"_. Cana happily ignored her.

"Now, come sit in front of me, _aabeilen_," the jeweler said, sitting in the grass that lined the floor of her stall. "I'll do it up like mine so some of it's still hanging down, how does that sound?"

Wendy scrambled over towards the older girl, making Levy laugh as she perched herself eagerly in front of Cana, practically in her lap. "It sounds perfect! Though, um, what does ay-bay-lin mean?"

"_Aabeilen_," Levy corrected gently as Cana began to work, easily making several smaller braids and working in some silver ribbon she normally used for wrapping up packages. She carefully wove some of the braids into the younger girl's circlet, securing it with an ease that Levy recognized from the many times that Cana had done her hair over the years. "It means 'little sister'." Wendy's cheeks flushed at the knowledge, and she smiled shyly at the grass.

"Thank you both for being so kind to me," she said softly. "Um, can you answer another question for me?"

"The answer is no, I don't normally hand out free stuff," Cana joked. Wendy laughed quietly, but shook her head slightly.

"No, I… um." She fiddled with the hem of her shirt nervously. "What's the princess like?"

Silence descending thickly on the trio, and Levy felt her throat go very dry. Wendy still hadn't looked up from the ground, and for the first time Levy didn't think of her impending engagement as the prince coming to live on Tenroujima, but as the prince having to _leave_ _Fiore_.

If this marriage worked out, Levy could be taking away one of Wendy's family members, and the idea made her feel suddenly very dizzy.

Cana was grinning, obviously looking forward to being about to gossip about Levy without the shorter faery being able to say anything, but quickly looked up at the princess for permission. Levy quickly schooled her expression into one of resigned embarrassment, and gestured for her friend to carry on.

"The princess, huh?" she murmured, starting to work all of the smaller braids together with a few larger clumps of hair. "Well, the princess is very kind. She's smart and brave, and more than a little stubborn," Cana said, looking at Levy with a smirk. Levy returned the look with a silent promise to kick her butt later. "She's a lot like her mother, no matter what she may sometimes think, and she's going to make a wonderful Titania someday."

"Is she pretty?" Wendy asked quietly, a small smile on her face after listening to Cana's glowing praise.

"Oh, she's _beautiful_. Wait until you see her dance tonight, it'll be unlike anything you've ever seen before."

"I just…" Wendy started, fiddling with her shirt once again. "I just hope that she likes Gajeel. Dragons mate for life and I… I don't want him getting hurt."

After a few beats of tense silence, Levy leaned over and rested her hands on top of Wendy's, stilling their nervous fidgeting. The Fioran looked up at her, and Levy smiled. "I'm sure she'll love him," she reassured. "After all, if a girl as sweet as you can be so worried about him, I'm sure he's wonderful."

"Oh, he is!" Wendy said with a wide smile. "He's amazing! He's brave and loyal and funny and smart and he always makes time to go flying with me even when he's busy and-"

"Breathe, _aabeilen," _Cana said with a laugh, and Wendy's cheeks turned a deep red as she took a deep breath. "This prince of yours sounds great," she reassured, "and I'm sure that he and the princess will be amazing friends." Levy didn't feel like reminding them all that she wasn't supposed to be friends with him, they were supposed to be husband and wife.

"Aaand, done!" Cana pulled her hands away from Wendy's hair, smiling brightly at her handiwork. "Our little sky Draygn is gonna be the talk of the whole island, with all those stars in her hair," the older faery teased, and Wendy was positively glowing.

"Thank you so much!" she gushed, fingering some of the strands that had been left hanging. She stood carefully, almost like she was afraid that she'd undo all of Cana's careful braiding if she stood too quickly. "How does it look?" she asked Levy with a smile, turning to show off both her hair and her tattoo.

"You look wonderful," the princess assured the younger woman with a grin. "Cana did a great job. And now we should be getting you back to the throne room!" Levy stood as well, brushing the dirt off the back of her skirt as her tail quickly flicked back and forth to do the same. "I don't think the Titania wants to deal with a bunch of worried Draygns tearing the island apart to look for you."

Wendy's brilliant smile dropped from her face, replaced by a worried grimace. "Yeaaah," she groaned, rubbing the back of her neck. "We should probably hurry."

"Far be it for me to get in between a young lady and her family of highly-skilled warrior Draygns," Cana said with a laugh, sitting back behind her booth and lifting her hands innocently. She tugged on one of Wendy's loose strands of hair as she and Levy walked out from behind the table, smiling brightly. "See you tonight, _aabeilen."_

"It was a pleasure to meet you!" Wendy called as she started to follow Levy towards the palace, a new hop in her step as her freshly-braided hair trailed after her.

"Oh! Wait, Wendy!" Cana called out, and both Levy and Wendy stopped. "How good are you at catching things?"

Levy and Wendy shared a confused look. "Fair enough, I suppose," the Heir responded with a shrug. "Why?"

Cana's grin was far too devious for Levy to feel any comfort at all. "Well, tonight during my dance, my partner has two swords she needs to get rid of. I was thinking you could catch them for her," she said with a wink. "Ya know, a little audience participation."

Levy's insistent _"No"_ was easily drown out by Wendy's delighted "Of course!". Wendy looked up at Levy with her lower lip pushed out, but the princess had been on the opposite end of that look far too many times for it to work on her. "Cana, the king would have a _heart attack," _Levy said. "Not to mention the Titania's reaction."

"It's not like she'd be in any real danger, _aabeila."_

"They're _real_ swords, _bwatehn!"_

"Okay, even I know what that last one meant," Wendy said with a small grin, and Levy's cheeks flushed. "You sound like you know a lot about this dance of hers."

Levy frowned. "Well of course I do, _I'm_ her partner," she said with a wave of her hand, realizing her mistake only after Wendy had stationed herself at Levy's side, a wide smile on her face.

"Pleeease, I promise I won't miss!" Wendy begged, eyes shining at the prospect of being a part of the excitement. Levy grimaced, tugging nervously on her ear. It had been hard enough to convince her mother to let her _use _her dual sabers in the first place; Levy couldn't imagine how much trouble she would be in for throwing two sharp blades at a table full of visiting royalty and praying that the young woman in front of her would be able to catch them by the hilt.

"_Aabeilen, _catch!" Cana suddenly yelled, holding a walking stick she had snatched from the stall next to her own (judging by the red-faced faery yelling at the taller woman and gesturing at his table wildly). She tossed the stick through the air, and Wendy didn't even look over as she caught it easily at the base, her hand shooting out in a movement almost too quick for Levy to follow. She twisted the walking cane in lazy circles around her wrist, never breaking eye contact with Levy, still smiling brightly.

Levy frowned at them both. "You're both awful," she told them with a pout, "and if the king takes my head off for throwing sharpened blades at one of the Heirs, I will blame you two." She snatched the walking stick from Wendy with a rueful smirk, lightly tapping the young woman on the top of her head before tossing the stick back at the merchant Cana had borrowed it from, calling out an apology. He simply huffed at them, and Levy winced as he slammed the stick back onto his table with a resounding '_crack'! _

"Now, let's get you back to the throne room before you two talk me into any other ridiculous plots," the princess said, gesturing for Wendy to follow after her as she waved good bye to a still-grinning Cana. The Heir trotted happily in front of her, her newly-braided hair swinging behind her like a tail, and Levy wondered if Wendy would still look as happy when she discovered later tonight that Levy was the mysterious Princess that might take her Blood Prince away from her. The idea made guilt turn her stomach sourly.

In the grand scheme of things, a scolding from her mother was a price the princess would gladly pay for the chance to give the young Heir at least one good memory of this island.

* * *

_Aabeila_ (ay-bye-lah) -_ beloved sister_

_Aabeilen_ (ay-bye-lin) -_ little sister_

_Matim _ (ma-tim) -_ Mother (borrowed from Atlantis)_

_Bwatehn_ (Bwah-ten) -_ Idiot_

* * *

_So this chapter is only vaguely edited, but I'm still pretty happy with it, and it's close enough to the month mark that I don't feel guilty lol. I'm really enjoying being able to explore this world and the way these two cultures meet and mix together. There's going to be a lot of world building and exposition in this fic, and I'm always happy to answer any questions you have about the world (save for spoilers of course!). Also, the translations for some of the terms in the Fae's language will always be at the bottom, so if you see something and can't work it out with context clues, just scroll on down and there it is! I'm having way too much fun with being able to come up with this whole language, it's so much fun!_

_I'm so thankful to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this fic so far! It's great to see so many people excited to see where this au will go, and it's super encouraging! Thank you so much!_

_The next chapter probably won't be out in as timely a manner as this one, and there's a few reasons for this. 1) I really want to try and update nest fic in the next couple of weeks. I want to get the Edolas arc started up. 2) Unlike this chapter, I don't have anything started for the next chapter yet. This chapter was half-written when I posted the first chapter, and this time I have to start from the very beginning. These chapters are seeming to stay at a pretty consistent 6k-8k length, and that takes a while to write. And 3) the next scene is honestly more suited for visual media like animation. It's going to be interesting to see if I can pull it off. _

_tldr: The next chapter will most likely be out in June instead of May. Thank you all in advance for your patience!_

_Remember, reviewing encourages me to work faster *double pistols and a wink*_


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts._

* * *

"Would you quit fussing over me!? And be careful! You'll mess up my hair!"

Gajeel easily ignored Wendy's protests, carefully fixing the silver brooch that clasped her cloak around her narrow shoulders. "Maybe if you had paid attention and not gotten lost," he said with a raised eyebrow, "I wouldn't have all this nervous energy to direct at my fussing."

"You'd be nervous anyways," Wendy pouted. "Don't try and blame it on me."

"Wendy, be nice," Metalicana said as he stepped into the holding room, struggling with the jacket clasp that laid on his neck. "Gajeel's under a lot of stress tonight and- oh for Skies' sake!" He growled at the clasp, and Gajeel rolled his eyes to the ceiling. Really, it was a wonder they all managed to get anything done when they couldn't even get ready without one of the other Heirs to help.

"I got'cha, Uncle," Rogue said, leaving Sting's side to help the King with the small, fiddly clasp. His accent shone through now that it was just the other Fiorans, and Gajeel let the long sounds and brassy undertones roll over him, anchoring his anxiety down so he could breathe.

It had already been a very long day, and Gajeel knew that it would only get longer from here on out. After all their things had been placed in their rooms, Ardelle had swept them away for a grand tour of the island. She certainly knew her small kingdom well, if the way she had been able to answer all of their questions and her continual commentary were any indication. She had led them through several markets, offered them all various foods to sample, and even made a quick stop by the training grounds so they could all have a peek at what exactly it was that his marriage to the princess would offer them.

Gajeel couldn't deny that he was highly impressed, both by the warriors and by the island itself. He knew the other Heirs - himself included - were all itching to have a chance to test themselves against the Fae warriors.

He couldn't think of Tenroujima as his home yet, but it was beginning to be a little easier to imagine.

It wasn't until Rogue had turned to ask Wendy a question about some of the fae's archers that they all realized that she had somehow managed to get separated from the group. Their response to the missing Heir hadn't been... the most dignified, but thankfully the Titania had understood, and they had all been rushed back to the throne room to form a search party. Even Natsu hadn't been able to separate Wendy's scent from the new smells of the island, and they had all managed to work themselves into a good panic by the time Wendy waltzed in, happy as could be with new decorations in her hair.

The Titania was once again witness to their less than dignified response as they had rushed at the youngest Draygn, all wanting to be the first to make sure she was alright. It ended up being Metalicana (who had resorted to quite a lot of shoving) who got to her first, pulling her into a tight embrace before gently chastising her for getting lost.

Gajeel had been next, and he got to experience the full brunt of Wendy's excited "You'll never _believe _what happened to me!"

They spent the rest of the evening listening to Wendy wax poetic about the two fae who had helped her while she was lost. The only reprieve that Gajeel had had was when he snuck back into his own guest quarters to make use of the rather large tub that was tucked into the bathroom, taking the momentary silence as a chance to let himself _breathe _and prepare himself for meeting the princess in a few hours.

"Your crown is crooked," Natsu chimed in helpfully, pulling Gajeel out of his own thoughts. The Blood Prince let the younger Heir fix the crown that sat on his head, murmuring a quiet "thanks".

"You look ready to throw yourself out the window and fly home," Sting observed with a grin, and Gajeel growled lowly at him.

"Fuck off."

"Such language! I wonder what the princess will think~?"

"Sting!" the other Heirs all snapped, and the young man shrunk back, holding his hands up defensively. The door swung open, and they spun to face the four that walked in.

Titania Ardelle swept into the room gracefully, midnight blue silk draped over her body and carefully folded and pinned in place. She somehow managed to look more beautiful than she had that afternoon, practically glowing in the light from the candles that lined the room. Gajeel had heard many times over the years that the faery in front him was thought to be one of the most beautiful women of the Five High Races, and he believed them.

Makarov was at her side, not nearly as graceful in his entrance; though he was now looking rather smart in a traditional fae suit. He nodded at Gajeel in greeting, and the Blood Prince returned the gesture before turning his focus to the two men that had walked in after the Titania and her ambassador.

They were clearly guards, both wearing gleaming armor and with their helmets tucked in the curve of their arms. The swords strapped to their hips, well-tended and sharpened to a deadly point, made even Gajeel and Metalicana swallow nervously.

"Look at all of you!" Ardelle said happily, clapping her hands together. "I must say Metalicana, I don't think I've ever seen you properly dressed for dinner before."

The king huffed, shoving Rogue away when the young man snorted. "In my defense, I was a little distracted trying to keep Igneel from making a fool of himself." One eyebrow rose towards his hairline. "Speaking of, nice necklace." Ardelle's hand jerked up to the metal band that curled around her throat, fingertips barely brushing against the fire-gem that rested in the hollow between her collarbones. Gajeel's eyebrows rose when the Titania shot his father a wry grin, her cheeks darkening. Whatever joke passed between them went over his head, and Natsu was too busy making sure his scarf hung right around his broad shoulders to pay attention - even when it was his father that was the topic of conversation.

"Anyways, I would like to introduce you all to my personal guard, Gildarts," Ardelle said, sweeping her hand back to gesture at the older of the two guards. He stepped forward, a grin on his face as he shook first Metalicana's, then Gajeel's hand.

"So, this is the young man who wants to marry our princess?" he asked Gajeel, his grin barely tightening at the corners. He was the same height as Gajeel, and the Blood Prince amended his his earlier though that all of the fae would be shorter than him. Gildarts did however have the typical dark skin and freckles, with scars old and new marring his skin - hinting towards years of hard training and fighting. It was easy to see why he was the Titantia's guard.

Gajeel nodded, returning Gildarts' firm handshake with equal force. "Yes, sir."

"_'Sir'_?" Gildarts said with an incredulous laugh. "Oh, Levy's going to have a field-day with this one." Ardelle smacked the back of her hand against Gildarts' chest plate, giving him a reproachful look while the larger fae simply snickered, brown wings fluttering with his amusement. Gajeel was almost so distracted by the two's interactions and his own puzzlement over the man's statement that he missed Wendy's tiny gasp.

"Behave," the Titania hissed.

"Of course, my lady. My apologies," Gildarts said, turning back to Gajeel with a boyish grin that seemed out of place on the face of who Gajeel presumed to be - considering his position - the strongest warrior on the island. "I've been Ardelle's friend for so long that I sometimes forget how to speak to actual royalty." Ardelle scoffed, turning her nose up at his comment. "Just Gildarts would be fine, your Majesty. No need to call me sir. Although-"

"And this is my daughter's guard!" Ardelle quickly cut in, stepping in front of Gildarts and tugging the other man to her side. "Prince Gajeel, this is Jet. You two will be spending a lot of time together in the coming week."

The princess's guard was several years Gildarts' junior, with sharp, dark eyes and flaming orange hair. His wings were a dark maroon, and they were long and thin like a dragonfly's. Just looking at them, Gajeel knew that they were built for speed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," he said, bowing his head before shaking Gajeel's hand. The Fiorans all nodded in response, though Wendy, looking unusually distracted, had to be nudged by Cobra to return the gesture.

"Still no princess?" Metalicana asked after a moment, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he looked behind the small group of fae.

"She'll be joining us soon," Ardelle reassured. "She's part of the opening ceremonies, so she has to stay backstage with the rest of the dancers."

"My beautiful daughter is dancing as well!" Gildarts crowed proudly, making Jet grin and roll his eyes at his fellow guard. "And- Jet, what's your wife doing again?"

"Sela's playing the music for _your_ daughter to dance to," he responded, quirking his eyebrow playfully; although, it was hard to miss his pride for his wife's accomplishment.

"If you and Gajeel would like to, you could come with me to go get her after the opening ceremony is done and bring Levy to the table. It would give you two a chance to meet without the entire island watching," Ardelle offered, smiling at both father and son.

"Sounds wonderful," Metalicana said, though Gajeel could see there was a bit of tension to the set of his father's jaw. He understood that perfectly; he felt like he was about to burst out of his skin at any given moment. The waiting was driving him mad, and he had half a mind to go seek the princess out himself just to end the suspense.

"I think it's time for us to make our way to the amphitheatre," Makarov said, opening the door a crack and peering into the hallway outside the holding room."The sun has just set."

"Off we all go, then!" the Titania chirped, straightening out her skirts and fluffing her wings before turning to Metalicana with a smile. "Would you care to do the honors, old friend?" she said, holding her hand out to the king. Metalicana grinned, moving to offer the stately faery his arm, when Wendy suddenly latched onto him, giving Ardelle her most winning smile. Gajeel almost flinched away, anxious not to be on the opposite end of Wendy's considerate charm.

"Actually, your Majesty, may I have a quick word with my uncle in private?" the young Heir asked, ignoring the king's confused expression. "It won't be but a moment."

"Oh," Ardelle said, blinking owlishly at the smiling girl. "Well alright, I suppose. Gajeel, would you join me then?" Shooting his cousin one last wary look, the Blood Prince walked to Ardelle's side and offered his arm to her.

"It would be an honor, your Majesty," he said. The Titania tucked her delicate hand into the curve of his elbow, and with a nod to Gildarts, the large group was off.

Makarov led the way, a strong set to his small shoulders as he led them confidently through the winding halls of the palace. Gajeel and Ardelle followed after him, the Draygn consciously shortening his long stride so the much smaller Titania could keep up with him. Her wings swayed with her as she walked, the crystalline membrane reflecting the moonlight streaming through the large windows that lined the walkway. As her wings brushed against his elbow with every step, he wondered if this was a feeling he would have to soon get used to. The rest of the Heirs trailed after them in a single file line, all in the traditional dress of their own province and wearing confident smiles.

"Nervous?" Ardelle asked suddenly, her voice so soft that Gajeel almost thought he had imagined her words. He inhaled sharply, staring at the back of Makarov's head.

"How honest of an answer do you want, your Majesty?" he responded, keeping his voice low as well.

She chuckled, squeezing his arm. "It's alright. I am too." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, eyebrows furrowed at the sad, small smile on the Titania's lips; but before he could question her meaning, they moved out onto one of the many walkways that curled around the Tenrou Tree, and the view stole the breath from his lungs.

The crescent moon hung high in the darkening night sky, the stars seeming to shine brighter and hang closer than he had ever seen before. Lanterns lit the island with their warm glow, some fae carrying one with them as they flew towards the amphitheatre. But what really stole Gajeel's attention was the beach, and the waves breaking against the shore. Each wave glowed brightly like stars had fallen right out of the sky and into the surf, the sight so singular and so beautiful that Gajeel could only imagine the cause was magic. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, even at the Inland Isles, and he felt his heartbeat begin to slow and beat in time with the crashing waves. He inhaled the sharp tang of salt water and magic, and the tension from before lessened its choking grip around his throat.

There was a gentle tug on his elbow, and he looked down to see Ardelle giving him a concerned look. "Are you alright?" she asked, and he noticed for the first time how he was gripping the railing of the walkway tightly with his free hand. He didn't doubt that he had been staring off at the ocean with a distant expression, and he felt the tips of his ears burn with embarrassment.

"Sorry," he murmured, "got distracted."

"Craving a swim?" Natsu teased, and had the Titania not gently nudged him onward, he would have chucked the smirking Heir over the edge of the walkway so Natsu could test the waters himself. They continued towards the top, Gildarts and Jet flying on either side of the procession, and Gajeel wondered for the first time why the Titania didn't seem as inclined to use her wings as the rest of the fae. She seemed perfectly content to be walking with him, despite how much he must be slowing her down.

Metalicana and Wendy caught up with the large group just as they were about to climb the last bridge to the amphitheatre, the murmuring of hundreds of fae and the sound of music a dull roar to Gajeel's sensitive ears. Cobra was already grimacing, and Gajeel didn't doubt that he was regretting letting his wife, Kinana, stay at home. She was the only one that could make large crowds bearable for the Draygn, and Gajeel shot him a sympathetic look.

"My apologies," Metalicana said to the two as he took Gajeel's place at the Titania's side, and the Blood Prince let himself be ushered to the back of the line by a fussing Makarov. Wendy shot him a reassuring grin, but Gajeel still made a note to ask her after dinner what had been so important that she talk to his father alone. Once all the Heirs were arranged to the ambassador's satisfaction, he raced ahead to announce them to the gathered fae, the music dying down as he disappeared into the amphitheatre. Gajeel swallowed thickly, again listening to the roar of the waves to calm his erratic heartbeat.

"Don't worry," Rogue whispered from where he and Sting stood together in front of the anxious prince. From behind them, Gajeel could make out their tattoos; dark whorls of smoky black ink curling across the back of Rogue's shoulders and under his equally as dark tunic, and white lines, thick and thin, twisting in and out of each other around Sting's upper arms. They both had identical crowns tattooed on the back of their necks, just above the start of their spines, a "5" drawn under Sting's and a "6" similarly placed on Rogue's neck.

The Fifth and Sixth Heirs to the Crown of Fiore. They all had similar markings, though Gajeel's was a blood red crown instead of a black one, with a "2" written in his mother's curling script under it..

"You're going to be great," Sting added, a sincere grin on his face, and Gajeel couldn't help but return it. When Sting wasn't being a total ass, he was actually rather enjoyable to be around.

"Here we go," Cobra chimed in from in front of the three, eyes straight ahead as they listened to the music start back up after it had stopped for Makarov. They began to move forward, reaching the lip of the amphitheatre and beginning to descend the stairs one at a time (save for Sting and Rogue, whose fingers were tightly interlocked).

Gajeel was the last to appear, standing tall and mighty, feeling himself slip into the role of unflappable warrior he normally adopted for political events such as this one. He strode forward with long, even strides, focusing on the table that curled around the stage instead of the hundreds of fae staring at him with varying expressions of distrust and curiosity. He thought he saw movement across the stage from the table, but only managed to catch a glimpse of thin, tan fingers and a single blue curl before the curtain dropped and they were gone from view.

The amphitheatre itself was a testament of architecture, done in beautiful limestone that could only have been imported from Fiore. Several rows of seating led down to the large, circular stage in the middle, and Gajeel was surprised to see that the floor of the raised stage seemed to be made of glass. A pool of water sat under the glass, more glowing stars moving in lazy circles under the sheer glass, and Gajeel quickly jerked his head up towards their table before he could get distracted again.

He took his seat as gracefully as he could, unable to ignore the empty chair between himself and the Titania that he knew was reserved for the princess. Wendy sat to his immediate right, and she was bouncing eagerly in her seat. "Excited?" Gajeel asked with a small laugh, shaking his head at the youngest Heir's rapid changes in mood. Wendy just grinned at him, mischief dancing in her brown eyes.

"Just wait~," she sung, and Gajeel couldn't have imagined the cold drip of dread that went down his spine.

Thankfully, there was already food spread out on the table, so he looked away from the now-smirking Heir to take it all in. Various traditional fae dishes sat in beautifully crafted bowls; from sliced fruits and vegetables, to some sort of thinly-sliced, smoked fish that was already making his mouth water by smell alone. Metalicana slapped Natsu's hands away from a dish of spicy-smelling dumplings of some kind, hissing for him to wait until the Titantia had begun eating to even think about grabbing anything for himself.

"Don't worry," Ardelle told the pouting Heir, grinning widely. "The opening performances shouldn't take long and dinner starts immediately after." She laughed. "I've eaten with your father enough times to know that you don't keep a Draygn from food for long unless you want to be pouted at."

Metalicana groaned loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering something about brothers that wouldn't know proper etiquette if it bit them in the ass. Ardelle laughed harder.

The loud murmuring of the gathered fae died slowly as Makarov made his way to the center of the stage, smiling brightly. "Welcome, my friends!" he boomed, his voice easily carrying to even the furthest seats. Cobra whimpered pathetically at the end of the table. "What a wonderful day it is for all of us that are proud to call Tenroujima our home," he continued on. "Not only are we joined this evening by the royal family of Fiore - who have come with hopes to rekindle traditions of unity and companionship between fae and Draygn alike -, but our own princess will be performing for us a traditional dance! One of my personal favorites, I might add." A good number of the assembled fae cheered and clapped, eyes lit up at the thought of seeing their princess, but Gajeel couldn't help but notice the sizeable group that simply sat and waited for the din to die down, expressions devoid of any of the excitement their neighbors had.

Makarov made a sweeping motion towards the table where all the royals sat, and Gajeel's heart jumped up to his throat. "What you're about to see is a retelling of the first union between the fae and dragons, both joining together to defeat a common enemy," the ambassador said, grinning at Ardelle who nodded at him with a smile. "This story has been passed down from mother to child long before this island became a home to the fae, and the princess herself picked it for the opening ceremonies tonight." Makarov met Gajeel's eyes, and his breath stilled in his lungs. "A piece of history," Makarov said, "to bless the coming trials that lie before us all."

_This was it_, Gajeel thought distantly, his nerves muffling even his own thoughts. The first glance at the faery who could one day be his wife. Skies above, he wasn't ready for this!

"I now present to you, Princess Levy!" Makarov said to thunderous applause from the excited fae. "Daughter of Titania Ardelle, beloved child of Tenroujima, and the sole heir to Mavis's Crown!" The amphitheatre shook as the majority of the fae cheered, some even lifting a few feet into the air in their excitement. Makarov grinned one last time before lifting his hand in a sweeping motion, all of the torches that lined the stage going dark and the amphitheatre falling silent.

Even with his heightened senses and the bright stars above them, Gajeel's eyes had a hard time following Makarov off the stage. He immediately noticed the cloaked figure that darted swiftly out to the center, however, squinting as he watched them kneel and shed their dark cloak. The musicians, all sitting in a lowered pit just to the left of their table and clutching instruments the likes of which Gajeel had never seen before, began to play softly, the music growing louder as the torches slowly came back to life.

There was a crash of drums, a sudden rise of voices as fae began to sing, and the princess stood.

And Gajeel felt the earth jerk to a stop.

Sky blue curls bounced around her shoulders as she began to dance around the circular stage, tambourines clutched in each hand and occasionally bounced against her rounded hip. Her skin was a shade darker than her mother's, dusted with freckles and a dark flush that bloomed across her shoulders and cheeks. Her tail curled and moved in times with the music, dainty feet darting and spinning across the glass surely, and with a laugh, the princess spun to face them for a singular moment. Gajeel saw her eyes for the first time, and his throat went dry.

Gods, her _eyes._

They were a molten brown, bringing to mind memories of the color of the setting sun as it reflected off the waters of his homeland. It was like a jeweler had plucked the finest gold they could find deep from the earth and set it in her eyes, priceless and beautiful and framed by thick lashes and wild hair. Her dark mouth was curled into a mischievous grin, and Gajeel wanted to taste every secret those lips held.

Princess Levy was breathtakingly stunning, and the idea of being her husband suddenly seemed less like a punishment and more like a blessing. Gajeel had never been interested in prayer before, but he owed someone in the stars a large and lavish offering.

He was pulled from his stunned musings by an insistent tug on his arm, and he mournfully turned away from the vision in front of him to look at a beaming Wendy.

"That's her!" she whispered giddily. "That's the faery that helped me get back to the throne room!" Wendy bounced happily in her seat, and Gajeel grinned. If Wendy liked her, that only raised the princess higher in his esteem.

He looked back at the stage - ignoring the teasing looks from all the other Heirs and the proud grin on the Titania's face - and was immediately drawn back in by the princess. However, in the time since he had looked away, another young woman had joined Princess Levy on the stage. She was tall where the princess was short, dressed in Fioran clothes that probably outdated his grandmother, and they circled each other easily. The taller faery smirked at the princess, and he realized that this had to be Gildarts' daughter.

Holding onto her partner's arm, the princess's leg rose and fell with each loud crash of cymbals, her skirt parting to reveal a slit that went clear up to the top curve of her hip and revealed more dark, freckled skin than Gajeel even knew what to do with. They spun and moved gracefully around the other, never stopping. Gajeel was starting to feel dizzy tracking their movements with his eyes.

"You're drooling," Natsu chimed in helpfully, smirking widely at the older Heir.

Gajeel swallowed thickly. "No I'm not," he shot back weakly, ignoring the laughter from the other Fiorans as he tried to subtly wipe at the corners of his mouth. Just in case.

The music slowed, the two women coming to a halt with an arm curled around the other's waist and their heads bent together despite the height difference. "The story is about two lovers," Makarov explained in a whisper to Metalicana as they all watched, "separated by the conventions of their races but still desperately fighting to be together even in times of great war."

"Wait, which war?" Wendy asked, and then the music changed.

Happy, celebratory music slowed and deepened to something that made Gajeel's fingers tap on the table anxiously, and he could see Natsu, Sting, Rogue, and Metalicana responding in similar ways. It was eerie and foreboding, and the Blood Prince realized why as vines crept across the stage in slow, menacing movements. They were coming from behind the same curtain Gajeel had noticed earlier. Both the princess and Gildarts' daughter stepped back from the curtain and closer to the table.

A large figure slowly emerged, and it took a few moments for Gajeel to realize it was the front of a dragon. Well, more specifically, it was a puppet of a dragon made of the same vines that circled the stage. Metalicana breathed an oath.

"The Black Death," he murmured, eyes wide, and Ardelle nodded.

"That thing isn't gonna hurt them, right?" Sting asked in a harsh whisper as they all watched the taller faery step in front of the princess, hands held in a way that was familiar to all of them. Gajeel didn't need Makarov's narrations to know that she had just challenged the large dragon to a fight, the puppet following her movements carefully with its large head as she shuffled from side to side, wings spread wide.

"Of course not," Ardelle reassured. "Droy is the best on the island when it comes to plant magic. Nothing will happen to Cana or Levy that isn't supposed to."

Princess Levy held her arm out to her partner, an intense expression of focus across her features, and Cana grabbed it without any hesitation, spinning the princess towards the beast. She released her arm, but still held onto a part of her skirts, and as the princess turned faster and faster, her costume unraveled and morphed until it closely resembled one of the training outfits he had seen earlier that day at the training grounds. Brown leggings clung tightly to shapely legs and hips, her shirt ending just above her ribcage and revealing twin piercings just beneath her belly button. Her tambourines had turned into dual sabers, and she held them with all the confidence Gajeel had seen in his father whenever he practiced with his broadsword. Those swords were not decorative, and she was no stranger to wielding them.

The music changed again, this time fast and dramatic, and both faeries raced towards the dragon. Cana took to the air, flying in graceful arcs and pulling the winds with her as Levy aimed lower on the beast, swords flashing as she cut away vine after vine. They both struck at the dragon, each attack still looking like a dance step. The puppet had become their third partner, moving in time with broad swipes of its claws and snaps of its mighty teeth. Gajeel found his eyes drawn back to Levy, watching how she flipped and dodged gracefully, swords never stilling as the music continued to build.

She danced closer to the table, racing across the top of one vine before kicking off and slicing it to pieces, landing almost directly in front of him. He jerked back in surprise, feeling his ears start to burn. She looked at him over her shoulder, and he swallowed thickly when she winked at… no, not him. At Wendy.

Levy spun one last time, bisected vines falling at her bare feet, and she proceeded to toss both of her swords directly at Wendy.

Gajeel felt his heart stop, and before he or any of the other Heirs (Metalicana, oddly enough, hadn't moved) could pull the youngest Heir out of the way, she leapt to her feet and caught both blades easily, grinning brightly at the princess.

Levy laughed giddily and gods her laughter sounded like _bells _how was it possible for her to be this beautiful? With a wave of her hand the swords turned into bouquets of various native flowers, and Wendy lit up at the sight of them even further. Levy turned back towards the beast - his breath catching in his throat as fire burst from her fingertips and surrounded her fists - and she let out a yell as she raced back into the thick of the staged battle.

Distantly, Gajeel wondered why she wasn't flying.

Magic hung thickly around the stage as the princess began to burn vines out of her way, smoke curling from between grinning teeth. The dragon mutely roared in pain, and Cana - who Gajeel had honestly forgotten about entirely - flew out of the way of the princess's attacks. There was a loud, crinkling sound, and Gajeel nearly flew out of his seat again as cracks began to form in the glass stage. But he froze as pieces of glass ripped themselves out of the floor, following Levy's directions and lodging themselves in strategic parts of the dragon. Each sharp movement of her hands was another successful attack, and Gajeel was stunned by the ease in which she switched between magics. He knew that fae were capable of learning any magic, whereas Mages could only learn one or two, but to see that kind of power in action… Gajeel found himself swallowing to try and wet his suddenly dry throat.

"How is the stage still holding their weight?" Rogue whispered.

"Shush, just accept it," Sting hissed back, enraptured by the performance.

The princess drew both hands together, breathing in deeply before she spun away from the dragon. Her arms moved out in wide arcs away from her body, and the Heirs all gasped in awe as water began to flow from each place the glass had struck. The vines rapidly dried out as the water was pulled from the puppet, the dragon giving one last mute cry before collapsing on itself. Levy stood in the center of the stage, a circle of water dancing around her and curling around her fingertips, and she smiled.

Gajeel fell back into his chair and had the sudden feeling that he was _doomed. _

The water sunk through the holes in the glass floor as Cana landed next to the princess, and the two began to dance again, celebrating the defeat of the beast. With each twist of the princess's hips and each flick of her wrist, a piece of glass flew out from the mess of dried vines and sunk seamlessly back into the stage, looking as if it had never broken. It continued like that until the whole stage was repaired, the two fae laughing together as they spun in circles and clapped in time with the music.

What remained of the puppet shook, and with some help from Cana and Levy, the vines parted and out jumped a young man that looked to be about the same age as Jet, with thick dark hair, and large muscles hidden behind a layer of fat. Gajeel could only assume this to be Droy, and he easily joined the two in the final dance, verdian wings moving behind him like a cloak. At some point he picked Levy up and spun her around, sending her into peals of laughter, and Gajeel couldn't help but smile.

The three moved towards the table, and with the final notes, dropped into bows towards the Fiorans and a beaming Ardelle. They each were panting heavily, but they were all beaming as the amphitheatre shook with thunderous applause from the assembled fae. Gajeel stood with the rest of the Heirs, giving the trio a standing ovation he fully believed they had earned.

As he looked down at his betrothed, applauding as loudly as he could manage, Gajeel noticed Levy's wings for the first time. The same crystalline color as her mother's, her wings were startlingly small, barely covering her shoulders where Cana and Droy's trailed behind them onto the ground. They fluttered weakly with each heavy breath, and Gajeel felt concern bloom in his stomach for this woman he barely knew. As the three stood and turned to go back behind the curtain, Cana waving enthusiastically back at a beaming Wendy, Gajeel leaned in towards Ardelle.

"Is the princess alright?" he murmured quietly.

"She was fine the last time I talked to her," Ardelle said, still beaming at her daughter as she walked back behind the curtain. "Why?"

Gajeel frowned. "Her wings were shaking like she was in pain."

Ardelle's head snapped towards him, and he nearly stumbled back at the way her features had twisted and hardened with fury. Her mouth opened like she was about to yell at him, but she stopped before she could make a sound. Gajeel knew his startled fear was probably plain on his face for all to see, and he supposed that's what made the Titania take a shaky breath and step back. She looked towards Metalicana, who in turn was pinching the bridge of his nose and cursing in rapid Draconic under his breath.

"Explain. _Now_," she hissed to the king under her breath, and the sound made shivers run down Gajeel's spine. There was something distinctly _inhuman _about that sound, and it set his nerves on edge.

"He doesn't know," Metalicana explained quietly. "We never told him." Ardelle gave him a heavy look before taking a long, deep breath; closing her eyes as she inhaled. When she turned to look at Gajeel again, it was like a veil had been pulled over her eyes. He couldn't figure any of her emotions from her gaze.

"She's fine," she said carefully, glaring at nothing in particular. "Her wings are _fine_. Excuse me." She turned quickly on her heel, striding down another short set of stairs and into a hallway that Gajeel assumed led towards wherever the princess had gone. He watched her go with a confused expression, looking to his father for an explanation.

Metalicana was grimacing, and Gajeel's stomach dropped to his feet. "I said something wrong, didn't I?" he groaned under his breath, just quiet enough for his father to hear. The king shook his head.

"The fault was mine," he said lowly, switching to Draconic so that none of the fae sitting nearby could eavesdrop. "I should have told you before we arrived-"

"Told me _what?"_

"The princess's wings are… different," Metalicana said at length. "They stopped growing halfway through her childhood and because of that, she can't fly."

"Why did they stop?" Gajeel asked, his stomach dropping even further. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," his father reassured quickly. "It's just…" He stopped, glancing around before turning his dark eyes back to Gajeel. "I'll explain further in private," he murmured, and Gajeel noticed that several fae had their ears perked, jewel-toned eyes glancing in their direction. He felt his teeth grinding together in frustration; how could he expect to fix this if he didn't know what exactly he had done wrong?

A hand gripped his shoulder tightly, and the Blood Prince looked up to see Cobra standing behind his chair, his features pinched. "I hate to interrupt," he said, grimacing and subtly trying to cover one ear, "but perhaps someone should go after the Titania."

Metalicana growled a curse under his breath. "This was my mistake, I should go talk to-"

"No." Gajeel stood, lips pressed together in a tight line. "Let me speak to her." His father opened his mouth to protest, but Gajeel had already turned and headed towards the stairs. It had been his careless comment that had gotten them into this mess in the first place; he would be the one to fix it.

Ignoring the confused looks from the other Heirs, he quickly went down the stairs after Ardelle. He stopped at the mouth of the hallway, eyes wide as he took in the form of the beautiful and sure Titania curled into herself, hand clasped to her mouth and shoulders shaking with silent sobs. He quickly glanced away, giving her a few moments to compose herself while guilt churned angrily in his stomach.

After a few moments, he heard her take a deep breath, and he dared to step closer. "Your Majesty, I didn't mean to upset you," he said quietly. "I apologize for any offense I might have caused." Ardelle turned towards him, the only evidence that she had been crying only moments ago was the red surrounding her storm-grey irises. She nodded after a few moments of searching his expression, accepting Gajeel's outstretched hand when she had, assumingly, found what she was looking for.

"It's all right," she responded softly. "You were only speaking out of concern for my daughter. But I ask that when you speak to her, do not mention the state of her wings." Gajeel nodded, realizing that wings as short as the princess's must have been the result of some kind of injury or trauma. Guilt choked him again, tasting like rust on his tongue.

"I'm sorry," he said earnestly. "I didn't know..."

"And now you do," the Titania responded, taking a deep breath before giving Gajeel a weak smile. "Thank the Goddess you asked me first instead of Levy." Gajeel grimaced at the thought of what might have happened if he had brought it up to the princess. They'd all be back on the boat home by sunrise.

Both the Blood Prince and Titania turned as Metalicana approached the two, the muffled sounds of the crowd settling down chasing away the suffocating awkwardness. "Are you okay, Ar?" the king asked, eyebrows furrowed together. Ardelle nodded, patting Gajeel's hand before stepping towards Metalicana's side.

"We're both fine now," she reassured him. Gajeel tried not to wince, smiling shakily at his father. "How about we go fetch that darling girl of mine so we can start dinner, and Natsu and Sting can stop trying to steal bites of food in a manner I assume is supposed to be 'sneaky'?"

Metalicana groaned, offering his arm to a grinning Ardelle as they all started down the hallway. "I swear, I raised those boys with better manners."

"They were brought up by Igneel and Wesslogia," Gajeel reminded him with a small grin. "There's only so much you can do." He fell into step behind the two, and pretended he didn't see how Ardelle's steps faltered when his father leaned down to whisper an apology of his own into her ear.

The hallway grew brighter as they approached several windows cut into the wall of the hallway, and Gajeel stopped to look down at the ocean one more time. The surf crashed and roared, indifferent towards the scattered thoughts of the three royals in the hallway, and Gajeel breathed in the cool, island breeze until it filled his lungs.

With the waves rolling comfortingly inside his chest, taming his wildly beating heart, he walked on. Following the Titania and his father down hallway after hallway, until they all stopped before a small, wooden door; rather unimpressive if he hadn't known who was behind it. Ardelle looked over her shoulder at him, and he took another deep breath.

"Are you ready?" she asked, voice quiet. Gajeel wanted to scream that he wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready, but he simply nodded in response.

Ardelle nodded back, and she slipped into the room alone. Laughter came through the open door and floated into the hallway, and Gajeel clung to that carefree laugh with all the strength he could manage in his trembling hands as the door shut behind the Titania with a quiet thud; leaving him and his father standing alone in the too-quiet hallway, thoughts drowning out even the sound of the ocean around them.

* * *

_This fucking monster of a chapter isn't even vaguely edited, but with no foreseeable days off coming up, a new full-time job, and just the fact that I'm plain tired, I can worry about it later. I just want it posted._

_Just Gajeel's POV this time since it got so long, and Levy's POV will take over the next chapter. Again, it will probably be two months before the next update because of the aforementioned new full-time job, but I doubt you guys will be too mad seeing as this means I will be able to both pay all my bills and _actually eat._ That would be nice. Being a starving artist isn't nearly as romantic as the movies advertise._

_The song Levy, Cana and Droy dance to is "Wonders of the New World" from the "Road to El Dorado" soundtrack._

_Reviews keep me from feeding my laptop to gators in a fit of anger; save the poor gators from getting wires caught in their teeth._

_Thanks for your understanding, and happy belated birthday KatStarr32!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Please do not use without my consent. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts._

* * *

Levy couldn't keep her feet on the ground. She hovered between steps, her little wings fluttering with excitement as she raced to keep up with Cana and Droy. It was admittedly harder to keep up with them when they were both flying in wide loops overhead, and she was only awkwardly hovering in the air for a few moments between each step, but she managed.

"Did you see them?" she asked excitedly, twisting around between steps so she could face her two friends. Her wings were starting to ache from the over-stimulation, but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

"Forget them!" Cana said with a laugh. "Did you see _us?"_

"We were amazing!" Droy cheered. Levy laughed giddily, heart racing. The dance had gone without a single hitch, and after weeks of planning, the knowledge that it was over took an immense weight off her shoulders. The night was far from over, but with such a smooth start, Levy felt her hopes begin to rise.

Maybe she did have a chance, after all!

They raced through the hallways, each babbling and trying to be heard over each other, until they reached the spare room that had been functioning as their dressing room and waiting area for the night.

"How'd it go?" Lucy asked as soon as they pushed the door open, jerking upright from where she had been sitting on the small couch. She was holding a wash rag in her hands, twisting it nervously between her fingers. "Did everything work out okay? No one got hit by a stray vine or accidentally got stabbed by glass or-?"

"It went perfectly," Cana reassured, her feet finally touching the floor as she started to peel her costume off one piece at at time (Levy had to bite her tongue to keep from yelling at Cana not to drop the articles of clothing carelessly on the floor; they were over three hundred years old). Droy ducked behind a screen placed closer to the wall, giving the girls a chance to change in private as they caught Lucy up on the events.

"Wait, so you saw the Blood Prince already?" the blonde faery asked as she helped Levy pull her top over her head, the princess spluttering as sweaty curls got caught in her mouth. "What does he look like? Is he handsome?"

"I dunno," Cana said with a grin. "_Aabeila_, did you think the Blood Prince was handsome?" Levy frowned as the taller faery continued to smirk cheekily at her, blood rushing to her cheeks. Lucy was smiling at the princess too, curiosity shining in her brown eyes, and Levy cursed the fact that it was in the Fae's nature to be _annoyingly_ curious creatures.

"He was…" Levy started, tugging on her ear as she stalled. "The prince was… Um… Tall! Yes, the prince was very tall!" '_Tall' _was a nice, safe word, Levy decided. She didn't get a good enough look to come to a conclusion about her potential-husband's attractiveness, but there was no denying the way he and the King towered over everyone around them. Her mother looked like a doll next to King Metalicana.

"_Tall_," Cana deadpanned. Droy's hand appeared over the screen, giving Levy a thumbs-down.

"Boooo!"

"I didn't get a good look!" Levy snapped, embarrassed. "I was a little busy focusing on not accidentally stabbing the youngest Heir of Fiore!"

Lucy paled under her dark skin. "What!?"

"She's being dramatic," Cana said with a roll of her eyes. "Wendy had it well under control. She caught your swords so easily even _I _thought it was practiced that way!"

"You threw your swords at an Heir!?" The three other occupants of the room all winced at the distinct screech Lucy's voice had adopted. "Oh goddess, what did the King think!?"

"He actually didn't react," Levy mused, snatching the washcloth from Lucy's hands and dunking it in the basin full of warm water the blonde faery had been sitting by when they walked in. She ran the cloth all over her bare torso, feeling the sweat from dancing being washed away by the scented water. "I believe Wendy warned him."

"Too bad she didn't warn your betrothed," Droy said, laughing. "I think he may have had a heart attack!"

"I didn't know he had looked away from Levy long enough to notice," Cana teased.

Levy's cheeks burned, and she took no small amount of pleasure in throwing the sweat-soaked rag at her friend's smirking face. The conversation took a merciful turn away from the visiting royalty, and they all rushed to get ready to join the festivities. Levy was just finishing smoothing out the pleats of her skirt when her mother slipped into the room, lighting up as she spotted the four talking and laughing together.

"Wonderful job, all of you!" Ardelle said, not hesitating to sweep her daughter up into a hug. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered in Levy's ear, kissing her temple. Levy nearly melted into her mother's embrace, feeling calm wash over her as she returned the hug easily.

"Did they like it?" Levy asked, nerves seeping into her voice. Lucy, Cana, and Droy - who had all dropped into bows the moment the Titania arrived - all looked up curiously. Ardelle's smile grew wider.

"They all _loved_ it," she reassured. "Droy, your dragon was a particular success." The male faery grinned widely, nodding his head towards Ardelle.

"Thank you, your Majesty."

"You're quite welcome. Now, I'm sure you're all anxious to go join the festivities!" Cana and Droy both ran for the door; Droy had been looking forward to this party for nearly as long as the princess and her mother had been planning it, and Levy was honestly surprised Cana had hung around this long while there were new people to meet. "Wait!" Ardelle quickly called out, catching them both by the backs of their shirts.

The two jerked to a halt with matching yelps, sending Levy and Lucy into peals of laughter. Cana pouted at the Titania, huffing a few pieces of hair out of her eyes.

"A hint-more forewarning would have been appreciated, your Majesty," she said flatly. If Cana hadn't practically grown up in the castle alongside Levy, what with her father's position as head guard and her mother being a life-long friend of Ardelle's, Levy doubted she would have been able to get away with speaking to the Titania so bluntly. As it was, Ardelle just smiled sheepishly at the two, releasing her grip.

"If I hadn't, you would have run into two of our guests," she explained, "and I didn't think you two would want to ruin the lovely impression you just made."

"The Fiorans are outside?" Levy asked in a high-pitched voice, overcome with the sudden urge to fiddle with her hair to check that it was somewhat presentable. Ardelle nodded.

"The King and Prince are outside," she said, and Levy's heart shot into her throat. "We all agreed it would be better if you and Prince Gajeel met away from critical eyes. Is that alright, love?"

"Yes!" If her voice pitched any further, she's sure that all of the island foxes would come running every time she opened her mouth. "Bring them in!"

"Yeah, I want to meet the man who could soon be marrying my sister," Cana said, helping Droy fix his skewed shirt. But Ardelle shook her head, pointing towards the side door that led into another hallway away from the Fiorans.

"I'm afraid it will just be Levy and myself, this time," she said with a smile. "You can introduce yourselves at dinner." The two both grumbled, but a single raised eyebrow from Ardelle was all that was needed to convince them. Cana and Droy bowed, heading past the two royals and making sure to stop and give Levy a hug.

"You're going to be fine, _aabeila_," Cana said, kissing Levy's hair and laughing as the blushing princess swatted her away. Droy pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, whispering similar words of encouragement before they both slid out past Lucy. The blonde fae was looking at both royals expectantly.

"That means you too, Lucy," Ardelle said with a grin. Lucy jumped, bowing her head towards the Titania before looking to Levy.

"Do you need anything else, Le- er, your Majesty?" she asked, and Levy shook her head with a smile. With one last reassuring grin, Lucy turned and disappeared through the same door Cana and Droy had gone through. The room suddenly felt too quiet without the three of them chattering in her ear; distracting her from the current situation so she couldn't dwell on her nerves. She swallowed nervously.

"I don't know why I bother doing your hair," Ardelle mused, pulling Levy back from her thoughts as her mother carded her fingers through Levy's hair. Lucy and Cana had attempted to pull some back with small, jeweled clips, latticing the thick strands across her wild curls, but it surely paled in comparison to the intricate braid her mother had worked on earlier. "It always ends up coming undone," she bemoaned, quirking an eyebrow at her daughter. Levy smiled sheepishly.

"What can I say? I'm a very busy faery," she said with a shrug. Ardelle laughed, cupping Levy's cheeks in her palms.

"You're too much, love," she said with a smile. That smile dimmed after a moment, as she absently rubbing her thumb across the freckles dotting Levy's cheek. The younger fae pressed into her mother's hand, frowning worriedly.

"_Matim_?" she asked softly, and Ardelle's eyes jerked back to hers. Levy had always wished for eyes like her mother's; the soft, dark gray of the morning fog that wrapped around their island like a blanket. Nothing on all of Earthland could make her feel safer.

Levy had once mentioned her disappointment in her own brown eyes to her mother and a visiting Igneel, and Igneel had been the one to scoop her up into his lap and reassure her that while different from her mother's, Levy's eyes were just as beautiful.

"_Like two little flames," _he had said with a smile, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. "_Most creatures only dream of having the kind of fire you carry in your heart, firefly. Be proud of that strength."_

Ardelle kissed Levy's cheek, drawing her back from her thoughts. "_Saavehn a nel_, _naabahl_" her mother said suddenly, "_kee da shabel._"

Levy smiled, leaning into her mother's arms. "_Saavehn ta ooren, Matim."_

They stood like that for a few moments, just the two of them. No princes outside the door nor rebellion looming threateningly in the distance; there was just Levy and Ardelle, curled around each other like the trunks of the tree they called their home.

Ardelle sighed, slowly stepping away from her daughter. "Better let them in," she said, looking at the door. "They've been waiting long enough. I think the prince may actually be more nervous than you are."

Levy laughed. "I doubt that, but yes, let them in. Do I look okay?" She spread her hands to the side, twirling in place slowly so her mother could see every inch of her carefully-picked outfit. Her top was a beautiful black silk that reflected the candlelight in the room in various shades of blue and purple, gold embroidery and beads curling across the fabric. Her skirt, in contrast, was an ivory so pale that Levy feared that one wrong touch would leave a large, ugly stain on the pristine fabric. The golden embroidery seemed to drip down from the waistband that hung low around her hips, pooling at the hem.

"You look perfect, love," Ardelle reassured, giving Levy's hand a final squeeze before moving towards the door. Levy patted her hair down nervously one last time, straightening her great-grandmother's necklace and the many bracelets on her wrists before clasping her hands in front of her.

Ardelle pulled open the door, and Levy saw two large figures standing outside, their conversation halting as the Titania appeared. "Sorry for the wait," she said with a smile. "Please, come in." She had to step back into the room to allow the two enough room to pass her, and Levy's carefully maintained smile shifted into something small and nervous. This was it.

The King was the first to enter, looking at her with bright green eyes that seemed to radiate magic and power. He smiled at her, and there was so much of Igneel in that smile that she automatically relaxed.

"Princess Levy," King Metalicana said, his voice like the low, distant rumble of thunder. "It's my greatest honor to finally meet you. Both your mother and Igneel have told me so much about you; I feel as if I've already known you for a lifetime." He held his hands out to her, and Levy didn't hesitate to place her own much smaller hands in his. The age lines in his face spoke of years of laughter, and she liked him almost instantly.

"The same can be said to you, your Majesty," she said with a small bow. "It's an honor to meet you in person."

The king's hands were shaking, she realized, but he had stepped away before she could wonder too deeply as to why.

Metalicana pushed forward a younger - but not smaller - man as he stepped back to stand closer to her mother. "Princess Levy, I would like to introduce my son, Blood Prince Gajeel; second Heir to the Fioran crown and only heir of the Andel and Redfox clans."

The prince was somehow even bigger up close, was Levy's first thought. Her second thought was less coherent words and more like the feeling of breathing in fresh air for the first time after being locked away in the musty archives for too long. Prince Gajeel towered over her; dark, red eyes watching her with a curiosity that matched her own, and an embarrassed flush staining the tips of his ears.

In some ways, he was exactly what she had imagined when her mother had first suggested this union; a strong jawline with pronounced cheekbones, a nose that would have been straight had it not been broken at some point and healed just a little too crooked, and biceps that were bigger around than her head. A true warrior prince. But there was something almost soft in the cupid's bow of his mouth and the way his eyebrows arched, dark and full, over his deep-set eyes. Levy had seen paintings of the missing Queen Voeda before, and looking at the Prince standing next to his father, Gajeel seemed an equal mix of both.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Gajeel," Levy said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her nerves. She bowed her head, fist closed over her heart like she had been taught by Makarov ages ago, and the prince seemed to relax. It was reassuring, in a way, to see his nerves matched her own.

"The pleasure is mine," he said, and his rumbling voice sent shivers down her back. He bowed to her as well, with his long, black hair tumbling across his shoulders, and Levy nearly swooned.

Perhaps Lucy hadn't been too far off when she had suggested that the Blood Prince could be the man of her dreams. He looked just how she had imagined heros from her favorite epics would.

"I hope you found the performance to your liking, Prince Gajeel," she said, and he looked up at her from where he was bowed in front of her, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"It was unlike anything I've seen before," he said as he straightened himself, before shooting his father a look. "Though I would have appreciated a warning about the sword-juggling Wendy was participating in," he said towards his father. Metalicana laughed, but Ardelle had turned to a nervously-grinning Levy with a frown.

"Yes, I would have appreciated one as well," she said, placing her hands on her hips. Levy's carefully constructed calm faltered for a moment, and she tugged on her ear while grinning shyly at her mother.

"I don't suppose _'Cana made me do it'_ would be a sufficient reason?" she asked. Ardelle's eyebrow quirked high over the other. "I was against the idea!" Levy defended. "Cana and Wendy were the ones who begged me to. I didn't want to disappoint Wendy!"

"Well, she certainly wasn't that," Metalicana said, still grinning. "She hasn't been able to stop talking about you ever since she got lost." Levy felt a blush spread across her cheeks.

"I should apologize to her for not telling her who I was when we met," she said softly. "I just… I didn't want her to think ill of me."

Levy looked up in surprise as a tattooed arm was offered to her, Gajeel grinning as she stammered at him. "Better get you back to dinner then," he said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "She's probably chewing Cobra's ear off while waiting for you."

Metalicana scoffed. "I swear, you boys are an awful influence on that girl," he accused. "She used to be so well-behaved."

"Would you rather she take more after us, or be more like her aunt?" Gajeel asked with a raised eyebrow. Metalicana shuddered.

"I try not to dwell on dark thoughts such as those," he muttered, offering his arm to a laughing Ardelle and leading her out of the room. Levy's blush grew darker as she realized that the Prince was still holding his arm out for her, and she quickly tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow with a quiet "Thank you".

Gajeel led her out of the room after their parents, an uncomfortable silence enveloping the two. Levy had no idea what to talk about! What were you supposed to say to a man whom you were supposed to marry, but had never met before? Levy bit her bottom lip nervously, wracking her brain for something both witty and charming to say to the mountain of a man next to her. Her tail was twitching anxiously behind her as they walked, and she just knew that the hairs on the end were sticking up ridiculously as they always did when she was nervous.

"I wanted to thank you," Gajeel said suddenly, snapping Levy out of her panicked thoughts. She looked up at him in confusion, her brows furrowing above her eyes. "For bringing Wendy back safely after she had gotten lost," he clarified, the blush on his ears getting darker the longer she looked at him.

"Oh! Um, it was nothing," she said with an embarrassed shrug. "I was happy to do it."

"Still, it was a huge relief to see Wendy back safe and sound," Gajeel said, finally looking down at her. Levy felt her cheeks begin to burn again. "We're all a bit protective of her."

"I can see why," she said with a small smile. "She's wonderful." Gajeel snorted out a laugh.

"When she wants to be," he muttered, and Levy felt her own laughter bubbling out of her loudly. She quickly covered her mouth with her free hand, feeling her blush deepen.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, "I shouldn't have laughed-"

"You're fine, Princess," Gajeel said, chuckling under his breath, and the tension in the corners of his smile had lessened. "It's a joke. Laughter is usually the objective," he teased.

Levy pouted at first, but she couldn't fight her pleased smile for long. She rolled her eyes with a short laugh, grinning at him before glancing away. Her gaze was drawn to the tattoos that curled around his forearms; intricately-shaded scales that went up to his elbows like armor, with thick metal bands depicted around his wrists. The tattoo was interrupted along the length of his right arm by several thick scars, each unnervingly pale compared to the warmth of his dark skin.

"Princess?"

Levy jerked her head up, her blush coming back full force at being caught staring. Not only that, but she had only just realized that while she had been rudely staring, she'd been tracing some of the tattooed scales with the tip of her finger. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly, jerking her hand back to grip the pale fabric of her skirt in a death grip. Her other hand had gone horribly still and tense where it was tucked in the crook of his arm. "I didn't- I hadn't meant to- I'm sorry," she murmured, staring at her feet. A quick glance at him from behind her hair revealed that the flush of color that had been on his ears had moved to his cheeks, and Levy wanted to have the floor under her swallow her up whole.

She was awful at this whole _"charming princes_" thing, and at this rate, she wouldn't be surprised if the Fiorans were on their boat racing home by sunrise.

Gajeel inhaled deeply, like he was about to say something. She saw him begin to open his mouth, but he was cut off as they turned the corner and nearly crashed into the backs of Ardelle and Metalicana.

"Oi," Gajeel grumbled, bracing his arm protectively in front of Levy so she didn't accidently plow into her mother. "What's going on?"

"Come on!" a male voice chimed, sounding petulant. "I've been looking forward to this for _three weeks_!"

Metalicana sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Really Natsu, you couldn't wait just a few more minutes?"

"Wait, Natsu?" Levy gasped, using Gajeel's arm to balance herself as she peeked around her mother. A young man stood in the hallway, arms crossed and a petulant frown on his face. He had riotous red hair, a far cry from anything they had on Tenroujima, and a familiar scarf wrapped around his neck. He noticed her after a moment, and his frown was replaced by a boyish grin.

"Natsu, don't you dare-" Gajeel started from behind her, but the other young man had already started towards Levy, still beaming at her.

"So, you're my dad's other kid!" he said happily, and Levy distantly heard Metalicana and Gajeel groan. She, however, was too distracted by Natsu's sudden appearance to really care.

"_I'm _the other child?" she teased, coming out from behind her mother. Her grin felt like it was about to split her face in two, and Natsu seemed equally as excited to be meeting her. "I came first!"

With a laugh, Natsu ran the last couple of feet towards her, Levy racing to meet him in the middle and the two meeting in a clash of limbs and giddy laughter. He scooped her up into a tight bear hug, spinning her around several times and laughing at her startled squeak. She clung to him just as tightly once she had regained her bearings, tucking her grinning face into the familiar warmth of her godfather's scarf that he wore around his neck, giggling madly.

"I can't believe I finally get to meet you in person!" he said once he had finally put her feet back on the ground, the two still holding onto each other by the arms. They grinned at each other, and Levy felt her wings start to flutter excitedly again.

"I know!" she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She turned towards her mother with a bright grin. "You didn't tell me Natsu was coming with the other Heirs!" Levy accused. Ardelle shrugged, smiling brightly.

"Surprise, love!_" _she said happily.

"Did Igneel come with you?" Levy asked Natsu, rising onto her tip toes to try and look over the taller man's shoulder. It would be just like Igneel to pop out at the last second just to see the shock on her face! Her feet left the floor briefly, giving her the extra height she needed for an unobstructed view, but she dropped back to the floor with a small wince as the joints where her wings met her back _burned_.

Natsu's face fell. "He was tied up at the front borders with some official business and wasn't able to get away for the week," he said with a frown, watching as Levy's smile dimmed. "He sends his regards and his deepest apologies."

"Oh," Levy murmured, shoulders slumping. It had been a silly hope anyways, with the Ishgar War getting worse each day. It had been years since he'd been able to get to Tenroujima, and letters had been sparse. Levy missed her godfather terribly, and she knew her mother was feeling the effects of the separation even more than she was.

"But!" Natsu said quickly, "He also sent presents!" Levy perked up, feeling her smile start to come back. The Fire Draygn grinned at her brightly. "After all, we missed out on 23 birthdays, so we've gotta start catching up!" Levy laughed happily, covering her grin with her palm.

"If you're quite done hogging the my daughter for yourself, Natsu," Ardelle cut in, still smiling. "I think we'd all like to get to dinner." Natsu pouted back at her.

"Aw, come on! I've been waiting for this since I was five!" he whined, sounding like a child. Levy nearly expected him to tug her into his arms like a doll he was trying to keep away from the other children. She giggled, patting his hands.

"We'll be sure to catch up this week," she promised. "But for now, I think we better join everyone for dinner so we can eat."

"Finally!" Natsu cheered, grabbing Levy's hand. "Race ya'!"

"Natsu!" Metalicana barked out, and the Heir froze midstep. "I understand your excitement, but I imagine that the Princess walking out with the wrong Heir may cause some confusion."

Levy inhaled sharply, jerking her hand out of Natsu's grip and taking several quick steps back as realization hit her like a punch to the gut. In her excitement, she had completely forgotten about the Prince and her potential marriage. With wide eyes, she snuck a glance at Prince Gajeel, expecting to see annoyance twisting his handsome features.

But the prince was grinning behind the hand that was pinching the bridge of his nose, shaking his head at Natsu's actions. "You knew this was going to happen," he said to his father, laughter in his voice.

"I had hoped that he would rise to the occasion," Metalicana grumbled, a giggling Ardelle clutching his arm. Natsu pouted at the three, getting to the the bottom of the stairs before turning on his heel to face Levy.

"We will continue this later!" he declared, and Levy couldn't help the small grin that pulled at her lips.

"Of course," she reassured, and Natsu finally raced up back up the stairs, smiling brightly.

Gajeel stepped up to her side as Metalicana and Ardelle passed them, following Natsu up the stairs and out into the amphitheater. He offered Levy his arm once again, and she demurely tucked her hand into his elbow, unable to meet his eye as she muttered a quiet apology. She tensed when she felt his arm shake, but she heard the deep rumble of his laughter a few moments later. He was grinning lopsidedly when she looked at him, and he shrugged.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Natsu's a bit of a force of nature," he explained. "I'm surprised he didn't just carry you off." That startled another laugh out of Levy, and she was still grinning as he led her out of the stairwell and towards the table where their parents and the other Fiorans were sitting.

An excited cheer came up from the gathered fae as the two royals stepped into view, arm-in-arm. Levy smiled brightly, some of her nerves fading away as she waved to the familiar faces. The limestone seating had been pushed back into the wall, forming a appearingly-seamless bowl of pale stone; the bottom of which had been turned into a large dinner hall. Tables piled high with traditional fae dishes were placed around the sunken stage, fae milling about from table to table to get their socializing in before dinner could start. Levy could see one table that was surrounded by people she didn't recognize, and figured they had to be the crew of the ship that had brought King Metalicana and the Heirs to Tenroujima. Cana had already taken a seat amongst the sailors, smoky violet eyes focused on a young woman with cropped blue hair and a pretty blush on her cheeks. The band had moved onto the glass stage and was playing softly, and Levy took a moment to wave at Jet's wife, Sela.

Gajeel carefully helped her up the couple of steps to where the Fiorans and her mother were sitting, smacking one of the Heir's hands away from a plate of spiced boar steaks once they were both on the slightly-raised platform. The blond hissed a curse in Draconic, but the Prince just gave him a look of reproach. Ardelle grinned at the two as they passed, and Levy released Gajeel's arm as he went to pull the seat next to her mother out for her.

"Woah! Woahwoahwoah," a female voice Levy easily recognized started, and Wendy leaned forward to place her hand atop Gajeel's. "What're you doing?"

"Attempting to be a gentleman?" Gajeel said, one eyebrow raised. "What are you doing?"

"Wrong seat," Wendy said plainly, tapping the bottom of the seat next to her. "Levy's sitting with me." The princess giggled, hiding her growing grin behind her hand. Natsu, who sat on the opposite side of Wendy, leaned his chair back so the two standing royals could see his grin.

"We like Levy more than you," he told Gajeel with a shrug. "We'd rather sit with her."

"You've known her for less than a day," the Blood Prince said flatly.

"Exactly! Do you know how long we've been stuck with you?" Natsu said, affronted. On the opposite side of the table, the blond - whom she guessed, from Igneel's descriptions, was Sting - started laughing.

"Please?" Wendy asked, brown eyes wide and bright. "She'll still be sitting next to you!" Gajeel sighed, straightening up and looking at a grinning Levy.

"It's up to the Princess," he offered, and Levy attempted to smother her quickly growing smile by pressing her lips together.

"Well, I see no harm in it," she said loftily, grinning as Wendy and Natsu both cheered at her response. Gajeel narrowed his eyes at the two Heirs, but there was no denying the lopsided grin on his face. That grin was doing funny things to her nervously-racing heart, and Levy couldn't decide if that was a good sign or not.

"You two are awful," he muttered as he pulled the chair out for Levy, offering her a helping hand as she sat. The youngest Heir giggled happily, wasting no time in grabbing Levy's free hand.

"I can't believe you're the Princess!" Wendy said, practically bouncing in her seat.

"Surprise!" Levy said, her answering smile nervous and small. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just didn't-"

"I understand!" Wendy said quickly, and Levy distantly heard Metalicana grumble more about the young woman and "picking up bad manners". "If I was getting married to someone I had never met, I'd want to hear someone's honest opinions of them too!"

"Now," Levy said quickly, cheeks burning, "that wasn't why at all! If anything, _you_ asked about _me!_" Natsu was laughing next to Wendy, and Levy was too embarrassed to see how the Prince and his father were reacting to the young woman's guess.

"Well, of course! Igneel's biased," Wendy explained, sounding very serious, "so I had to find out myself what kind of person we were shoving Gajeel at."

Now even the Heirs on the opposite side of the table were laughing, and Ardelle was covering her mouth in a way that Levy knew was meant to hide her wide grin. "Oi!" Gajeel protested, the blood rushing to the tips of his ears again, and Ardelle stood up before Wendy could make good on the mischevious smile curling her pretty lips.

"My friends!" she began, her strong voice easily carrying across the wide hall as the music died down and the fragmented conversations Levy could hear paused. "It is a pleasure and an honor to be able to share this special occasion with all of you tonight! I like to think of everyone on this island as family, and I can think of no one else I would rather have to help my daughter and I welcome our visitors than about, hm, a thousand or so of our closest friends." Laughter rolled across the crowd, and Levy noticed that while there was a healthy number of people still at dinner, a good third of the island's population was missing, and her stomach twisted. At least no one had stayed to try and ruin the dinner, she supposed.

"As you all know, tonight we welcome the royal family of Fiore to our table," Ardelle continued, resting her small hand on Metalicana's shoulder. "In times like these, when our brothers and sisters on the mainland are caught in a conflict such as the Ishgar War, it is more important than ever to remember the bonds between our people that have been a part of us since before this island was ours. Dragons and Fae have always been allies to each other, and the same can be said for the Draygns." Ardelle smiled at all of the Heirs in turn. "There hasn't been a gathering of Draygns like this on Tenroujima since the early days of Titania Josya's rule. Welcome, and know that Tenroujima's port will always be open to you." Ardelle peered at Levy from the corner of her eyes, and Levy smiled brightly at her mother as a cheer rose up from the gathered fae.

"Tonight we celebrate a remembrance of the bonds that have made us great!" Ardelle shouted, lifting her glass high in a toast, and everyone in the room followed her lead. "Tonight, we celebrate our joined victories in the future! And tonight, we remind the world why dragons and fae are, together, the greatest force against any foe on all of Earthland!" A loud, rowdy cheer rose up from the fae, and Levy happily joined in, throwing her fist into the air as she howled towards the stars glimmering over head. Several of the warriors intermingled amongst the party-goers and the guards stationed around the amphitheater had begun to stamp their feet, the clamour of sheathed-swords bouncing against armored hips almost deafening.

Ardelle waited until the cheering had begun to die down to continue. "Now, in a break of tradition," she said, stepping a bit to the side to reveal Levy and Gajeel fully to the crowd, "my daughter and the Blood Prince of Fiore will be the ones to start the meal, instead of the King and myself." Levy's heart nearly stopped with her momentary panic, but her mother nodded at her confidently, and the nerves fled her system.

Levy stood, gesturing a wide-eyed Gajeel to do the same, and she took the goblet from his lowered hand, passing her own glass to him in full view of the gathered fae. Once their goblets had been exchanged, she gently pushed his elbow up until the glass was near his mouth. Her expression didn't betray the pain that stabbed through her muscles as she lifted herself into the air, high enough that she could easily twist her arm around his; their elbows locking together and their respective glasses ready to drink from.

Understanding had dawned on the Prince's features, and she only needed to nod for him to take a long drink from his glass at the same time as she, the two not looking away from the other as they emptied their glasses. Wine dripped down her chin and into the hollow of her throat, pleasantly cool against the hot night air. His red eyes burned into hers, and for the first time that night, Levy felt no shyness as she met his his gaze. Here before her people, she wasn't merely Levy, half-fae set to marry a man she barely knew or understood, with little experience to guide her nervous, awkward tongue. She was Princess of Tenroujima, who could command the seas and winds of her island with little more than a whisper. She was a warrior that easily matched both her grandmother and great-grandmother, both renowned swordswomen, in talent and ferocity. She had the wisdom of her mother and the burning heart of the man that raised her, and this was her duty and birthright.

They both finished at the same time, breathing heavily as the crowd roared around them, people already starting in on the food spread before them with gusto. Levy knew her lips and tongue had to be stained the dark red of the wine, each hot breath passing her lips still carrying the taste of the bittersweet drink. Wine rolled down from Gajeel's grinning mouth, and her mouth curled into a matching smirk as she lowered herself carefully back to the floor.

She could do this.

* * *

_Aabeila_ (ay-bye-lah) -_ beloved sister_

_Matim _(ma-tim) -_ Mother (borrowed from Atlantis)_

_Naabahl _(nay-ball) - _beloved_

_"Saavehn a nel [naabahl], kee da shabel"_ (Say-vin ah nel, key dah shah-bell) -_ "I love you, no matter what"_

_"Saavehn ta ooren"_ (Say-vin tah oh-ren) -_ "I love you too"_

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_*Clangs two pots together* WE PASSED THE 25k MARK GUYS! THIS FIC IS OFFICIALLY WAY TOO WORDY CONSIDERING I'M ONLY ON THE FOURTH CHAPTER!_

_Honestly don't have a lot to say this chapter, I think it really speaks for itself. I will say that I'm building a lot of stuff up for later, and shout out to everyone that has commented and noticed the foreshadowing~ I'm really excited to watch you guys put the pieces together as we go along!_

_On a personal note, the new job is going well. I actually just got a pay raise today! Unfortunately, it is still taking up a lot of my time (duh), so it looks like I'm going to be sticking with the two-month update schedule for a while. I'm aiming for between the **17th and the 20th of October** for the next chapter. I think I'm going to continue with these shorter chapters, and switching back and forth between Gajeel and Levy's perspectives instead of one long chapter with both shoved side-by-side. I get to get into the gritty stuff a little better this way, and the 6k-words-long chapters are a little easier to manage than the 8k ones. What do you guys think?_

_Also, my birthday is coming up at the end of the month! That's right, come the next chapter, I'm going to be 20! So I guess this chapter is kind of my reverse-birthday gift to you all. You guys are really great, and I'm still stunned that we passed the 150 review mark after only 3 chapters! Holy crap! You guys are the best. _

_Thank you to all the people who have faved and followed both me and this fic so far, and I hope you like this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Remember, the next update will be in **October**!_

_Reviews are the sweet life blood of the fic! Let me know what your favorite part was!  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Please do not use without my consent. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts._

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**_Warning: This fic contains some material that may be triggering. (Mentions of nightmares, unintentional self-harm, and alcohol)._**

I'm going to start putting warnings on the top of every chapter from here on out. The really violent stuff doesn't come until later on, but there **will **be gore and violence later in the fic. All mentions of such will be appropriately tagged, so if that sort of thing bothers you, be sure to read the warnings at the top of the chapter before continuing to the chapter. If I missed something you think needs to be tagged, please message me. Thank you! (Warning added Jan. 2nd, 2016)

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People spoke of Fae parties in one of two ways, depending on their personal experiences. Some spoke in reverent whispers and hushed laughter, eyes bright with the remembered antics. They recounted how the food never ran out and how their cups were never more than half empty, how the dancing went on late into the night and sometimes into the next morning. They bragged about how they danced with beautiful, jewel-eyed creatures the whole night; the soft sensation of tails brushing against calves and smooth, warm skin against skin a hazy memory. Some spoke of Fae parties as if it had felt like a dream that was somehow, improbably, made real.

The others would blush horribly and duck their head quickly after being asked; either unable to remember the night, or wishing they couldn't.

Gajeel was caught somewhere between the two.

He could remember the whole night, which already put him leagues above some of the stories he had heard, but he had spent most of the night sitting at the table with the rest of his family. Well, most of his family. Natsu stayed only until he could eat no more, and then he made it his personal mission to dance with everyone he could get his hands on. Sting had somehow managed to drag a protesting Rogue out to the dance floor no less than five times. Gajeel got pulled onto the floor only twice - once to dance with Wendy, and again to dance with the princess - but he was happy with that. He didn't know the music and most of the Fae hardly stayed on the floor as they danced; he only would have looked foolish.

So no, he didn't really dance. That didn't, however, mean he didn't have a good time. After all, he had some lovely company.

The princess had far exceeded his expectations, and although the idea of an arranged marriage still rubbed a deep, almost-primitive part of himself _completely_ the wrong way, Gajeel had to admit it wasn't seeming quite so bad anymore. All Fae had a sort of wildness to them - a promise that their affections and attentions were hard-earned and not easily granted, that they were as untameable as the jungle that sprawled over their island - and Princess Levy's every movement had sung with that wildness. Gajeel still hadn't recovered from the shock her eyes had given him, and having said golden eyes focused solely on him several times that evening couldn't have possibly been good for his health. She was beautiful, there was no denying that, and Gajeel personally believed that her smile outshone even her mother's.

Judging her on her looks alone would be a disservice to Levy's quick and easy wit, and even quicker tongue. She was _smart_, Gajeel had realized not even an hour into dinner, almost frighteningly smart. She was eloquent to a fault, and had a tendency to gesture wildly with her hands when she spoke; something so _Igneel_ that it was almost disorienting. Watching Levy and Natsu interact was a particular kind of weird that he wasn't quite able to process yet for the same reason, but he would have to be fairly heartless to not admit it was endearing to see the two getting along so well, so quickly. Levy seemed to get along with all of the other Heirs, actually, and Gajeel saw that as a very good sign.

His own interactions with the princess seemed to come easily enough. She was charming, and funny, and almost flirtatious at times. But she had also been strung tighter than a bow the whole night, and Gajeel found himself squirming in shared anxiety. She never let herself relax around them, which would have been worrying if he hadn't been the exact same way. She only seemed to unwind when she was away from the table and playing hostess.

Drifting from table to table, she made easy conversation not only with the Fae, but with the crew of the ship and the other Fiorans as well. She and Juvia had spoken for a while, although that may have been because Gildart's daughter, Cana, had stationed herself at Juvia's side for the evening (until she and Juvia had slipped away hand-in-hand in the early hours of the morning, but Gajeel was keeping that particular observation to himself).

The party had ended for him when Wendy had passed out against his side sometime around two in the morning, cheeks flushed from both dancing and the heavily-diluted wine she had been sipping on all evening. Only the princess and the Titania hadn't had their wine watered down; but then again, Fae spirits were known for their potency, and none of the Heirs wanted to make fools of themselves by getting drunk after only one glass. The crew had no such reservations, and they were all sloppily drunk before midnight.

The partying faeries showed no signs of stopping by the time Gajeel had carried Wendy back to their wing in the palace, and only the Titania and Levy had noticed their leaving. Levy had waved to them with a smile, promising to see them the next day and with a particularly fond smile towards a sleeping Wendy. With a careful bow towards the two faeries and a nod towards his father - the only Draygn left at the table now; with Natsu, Sting, and Rogue out on the dance floor and Cobra probably sulking somewhere quieter - he had gone back to their temporary home on the island.

The guest wing was a hollowed-out galleon that was located at the base of the Tenrou Tree, the back of the ship resting flush against one of the many trunks while the rest of the ship sat in a small, enclosed lagoon that overlooked the ocean. The Heirs' rooms all were located on the same level, and Wendy's room was right next to his. He had carefully placed the sleeping Draygn in her bed, and then Gajeel had headed back to his own room to clean up and go to sleep.

Which was _sort of_ where he found himself no-

"Oh gods, do you always think this loudly in the morning?"

Gajeel turned his head to glare at Cobra where he was sitting in the corner of the room. The Poison Draygn looked vaguely like he had been hit repeatedly over the head with a club, which made Gajeel feel a little better.

"Be quiet," the Blood Prince grumbled, careful not to jostle any of the other Heirs curled up on the bed with him. "It's a lot to process from one day."

"I'll say," Cobra said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm surprised you haven't strained something from thinking so hard."

"_Be quiet," _Gajeel growled, though in truth, Cobra's voice had never gone above a soft whisper. No doubt thanks to the raging hangover he had to be suffering from. Alcohol had a sort of dulling effect on Cobra's hearing, and in the large, sonorous hall they had been in last night, he had needed it. "You don't have _too _bad of a headache this morning, do you?" Gajeel asked, moving very slowly as he tried to sit up and freezing when Wendy sniffed softly in her sleep, curling up further into his side.

Cobra's lips pulled into a small smile, and he shrugged. "I should be fine once I get some breakfast in me," he reassured, and Gajeel exhaled softly in relief. "How about you?"

"Well, aside from the fact that all my limbs are asleep, I'm good," the Blood Prince said with a grin, making Cobra snort softly. "When'd you all come in, anyways?"

Cobra's smile flattened, and he looked at Gajeel curiously. "You had a nightmare. You don't remember?"

Gajeel suddenly felt very cold. "I hardly ever remember my dreams, Erik, you know that."

"Well," Cobra said, shifting in his seat to be more comfortable, "you must have had a pretty bad one, because you started crying out in your sleep an hour or so after the rest of us had made our way downstairs for the night. By the time I came in to check on you, Wendy, Sting, and Rogue were already in here with you, and I could hear Natsu starting to wake up." Gajeel grimaced, looking down at all the Heirs curled around him, still asleep. Wendy was tucked up against his side with Natsu curling around behind her, his arm thrown over the younger girl's side and clutching tightly at Gajeel's night shirt. Sting and Rogue were tangled together on his opposite side, heads resting on Gajeel's stomach like a pillow as they slept.

"Damn," Gajeel muttered. "I don't even remember being scared." The night terrors had been coming with less frequency over the years, but being in a new, unknown environment must have triggered something in him. Now that Gajeel was fully awake, he could feel the dried sweat under his night clothes and noticed that his legs were tangled up in his blankets. He didn't doubt that if he looked at his palms, there would be small puncture marks from where his fingernails had dug into his calloused skin.

"I didn't get any solid thoughts," Cobra said, "you were just _very_ anxious." Gajeel hummed in thought, eyebrows furrowed.

"Did you get any sleep?" he asked, looking towards the other man. There were dark circles under his eyes like bruises, and his dark red hair was a tangled heap on his head. There was a definite ashen paleness under his olive skin. Cobra shrugged.

"I got enough."

"Your wife will have my head if I bring you back to her looking like death warmed over," Gajeel teased, and Cobra grinned.

"Oh please, if Kinana were here, she would have been the first one in the room trying to get you up so she could fuss over you," he shot back, and Gajeel laughed. Rogue grumbled unintelligibly against his stomach, curling up closer to Sting before falling still once more.

"Really though, you don't have to stay up for me," Gajeel said once he was sure he hadn't woken up the other Heirs. "I appreciate it, but I don't want you straining yourself; especially with a hangover."

"You know I can't modulate my hearing in my sleep anyways," Cobra dismissed as he stood slowly from the chair with only minimal dizziness, stretching his arms over his head. "Besides, after all you've done for me, it's the least I can do."

Gajeel grinned ruefully. "I haven't done anything anyone else wouldn't have," he deflected, but Cobra simply walked over to the bed and flicked his forehead.

"I'm sure 16-year-old me would beg to differ," was all he said, offering Gajeel a grin. "Now, let's get these slackers up. A faery stopped by a few minutes before you woke up to let us know that we've been invited to breakfast with the Titania and her daughter in an hour and a half, and most of us still smell like a distillery."

Gajeel nodded, carefully nudging Natsu's shoulder, then Wendy's, as Cobra worked on waking up Sting and Rogue in the gentlest way possible… Grabbing them both by their ankles and _pulling_. The two let out identical screams as they were yanked off the bed and left to crash to the floor in a tangled heap. The sound of the two hitting the floor startled Wendy so badly that she jerked upright quickly, managing to send a still-sleeping Natsu to the floor as well.

Gajeel's sides were starting to hurt from laughing so hard.

"Wha' happen'd?" Wendy murmured, rubbing her eyes as she waveringly attempted to keep herself upright. Gajeel quickly scooted closer in time for her to slump against his chest, eyelids hanging heavily over foggy brown eyes. Natsu let out a particularly loud snore from the floor, nearly drowning out the sounds of Sting and Rogue attempting to untangle themselves from each other and yell at a cackling Cobra at the same time.

"It's time to get up, Wen," Gajeel said, rubbing her back gently as she drifted in and out of consciousness. "We're having breakfast with Titania Ardelle and the princess."

"We get to see Levy?" Natsu asked, stretching out on the floor as he yawned. Wendy seemed to perk up at the news as well, but Gajeel kept close just in case she should wilt again.

"Only if you two can manage to stay awake long enough to bathe and get dressed," the Blood Prince teased, pinching Wendy's nose and sending her into soft giggles before kissing her temple. "Better get going before these idiots try to steal the nice bath."

_That _was enough to motivate Wendy, the youngest Heir scrambling off the bed and managing to trip over herself several times as she ran for the door. Natsu slumped after her, heading back to his own room without complaint. It took a little longer to get Sting and Rogue out, and involved promising a grumpy Sting that all the Heirs would spar sometime after lunch - their hosts be permitting - so he could get his revenge on a smirking Cobra. Cobra followed them out, shooting Gajeel one last concerned look before closing the door after him and leaving him alone for the first time that morning. Gajeel sighed, pushing several messy strands of hair out of his face and letting his nails scratch against his scalp.

The knowledge that his night terrors had returned was worrying at best, and their timing wasn't helping. He looked at his palm, and sure enough, there were several crescent-shaped lacerations that stood out angrily against his dark skin. His accelerated healing meant that they'd be gone before he went back to sleep that night, but the fact remained that they were _there_. It was too hot on the island to wear anything with sleeves, so he'd have to be more creative about hiding them from his father.

But first, he needed a bath. Gajeel crossed the room to the entrance to his personal bathroom, stripping off his shirt as he went and throwing it towards his bed. The room was a good size; not as large as his quarters at the castle back in Fiore, but bigger than some of the places he'd stayed in before. It reminded him of his Grandma's home in the Inland Isles, actually, and he spent the rest of his time getting ready entertaining himself by imagining what his grandparents were up to that morning.

After he had gotten dressed and his now-clean hair was pushed back out of his face, Gajeel made his way into the main atrium of the guest wing; hoping, but not expecting, the other Heirs to be out there to meet him. He was pleasantly surprised to find both Cobra and Wendy ready to go, sitting near the fountain in the center of the room and making light conversation as Wendy continued to drift in and out of sleep - even after her bath. Natsu was slumped against Cobra's side, dressed rather casually for breakfast with royalty; but he was clean and not in his pajamas, so Gajeel counted it as a victory.

"Sting and Rogue still getting ready?" he asked, and Cobra nodded.

"They're almost done. Should be out in just a few minutes if Sting manages to _keep his hands to himself!" _Cobra said, yelling the last bit over his shoulder and towards the Heirs' room. There was a loud '_thump'_ against the door, like someone inside had thrown something against it, and Gajeel laughed. "They're ridiculous," Cobra grumbled.

"They haven't seen each other in several weeks," Natsu muttered, eyes still closed. "Be nice."

"They'll have plenty of time to snuggle over the next week, we don't want to be late," Cobra said, bumping Natsu off his shoulder now that he knew the younger man was awake. Wendy giggled softly, and Gajeel smiled. These were the moments that he lived for; the quiet, friendly times where he was surrounded by the people he loved most in the world. It was like a balm to his tattered thoughts, and he exhaled softly in relief - nightmare nearly forgotten.

"We're here, we're here," Sting groused as he came out of the room, a blushing Rogue trailing after him. "Your ears are going to get you in trouble one of these days, you know?"

"I've found that they tend to have the opposite effect," the Poison Draygn said with a grin. "They're much better at keeping me _out _of trouble, and also well-informed. What have your eyes granted you?"

"A pretty accurate timeline of your sex life, if the hickeys your wife _attempts_ to hide are any indication." Sting said with a smirk, and Rogue quickly clapped his hand over his mate's mouth before he could say anything else that would get him hit. Wendy looked totally unaffected by the sudden and lewd turn of conversation, and Gajeel bemoaned the fact that his father's grousing about them being poor influences was probably very accurate.

"Let's just get going before anyone falls asleep again," he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose and grabbing Cobra's wrist before his open palm could meet Sting's cheek. "You two idiots can fight all you want later if you make a good impression on the Titania and princess now."

The two grumbled under their breath, both at each other and at Gajeel, and a well-timed glare kept the two from making fools of themselves as Makarov appeared in the doorway that led to the rest of the palace.

"It's good to see you all awake!" he said in a loud, booming voice; making most of the Heirs wince. "I'm to lead you all to breakfast this morning, so let's get a move on! The chef has made quite a spread for the occasion, I must say!" The promise of food was enough motivation, it seemed, to get everyone moving, and Gajeel once again fell to the back of the group. As they passed one of the stairways that led to the lower decks of the ship, Gajeel strained his ears and could hear most of the crew of the _Drakon_ snoring away. He couldn't make out Juvia's distinct sniffles, and wondered if she had spent the night with the faery with the golden wings. He'd have to track her down sometime that day to make sure she hadn't gotten herself in trouble.

After a long trek to the dining room, Gajeel found himself wondering if any of the doors in the palace could open in some way other than "_Dramatically_" as the large, wooden doors swung open slowly. The dining hall they were in looked more suited to grand dinner parties instead of casual, mostly-hungover breakfasts, but the Titania and princess were probably used to eating alone, so they had to move into a larger room to accommodate their guests. Like many of the rooms in the palace, there were large windows that were open to the island air, showing off the magnificent view of the mist-covered beach as the sun continued to rise. What looked like roots were hanging down from the ceiling, carefully braided and arranged in a way that looked like one of the glass chandeliers in the ballrooms at home. Glowing crystals hung from the roots, giving the whole room a warm glow.

The Heirs all filed slowly into the hall, sleep still clinging to their eyes as they leaned on each other for support; any wakefulness granted by their baths drained away by the dozens of stairs and bridges they'd had to face to reach the middle of the the Tenrou Tree. Wendy in particular was practically being carried in by Cobra, the effects of last night still dragging the normally energetic girl down. Titania Ardelle and Metalicana were already seated at one end of the table, heads bent together as they murmured in low tones, but their conversation came to an awkward halt as the Heirs made their way in. Eyebrows furrowed in confusion, Gajeel looked to Cobra who only shook his head subtly.

'_Not now.'_

"Ah, good morning!" Ardelle said, standing to greet them as Metalicana moved from his chair next to her. "I hope you all slept well?"

"Was kinda hard, what with Prince Charming over here snoring so loudly," Natsu grumbled, leveling a look at Sting. Sting returned the look with equal venom, and Gajeel - already thoroughly exhausted from trying to play peacekeeper that morning - growled lowly in the back of his throat to discourage any roughhousing in front of the Titania. The command shocked the two enough that their anger was forgotten, and they all managed to be seated without any issues. Gajeel tugged Wendy's chair closer to his just in time for her head to hit his shoulder, her eyes barely able to stay open. He'd probably need to suggest to Ardelle that the other Heirs head back to their rooms after breakfast to get a little more sleep.

"Thank you, Gajeel," Metalicana said earnestly, taking a seat at the opposite head of the table from Ardelle. The Titania didn't seem perturbed by the subtle show of command. If anything, she looked amused.

"I'd almost forgotten what breaking fasts with Draygns was like," she teased Metalicana. "It seems the inability to properly interact with society before having coffee has been passed down to the next generation. Poor dears," she said, genuine concern in her eyes as she surveyed the young adults spread around her dining table.

Sting was practically curled up in Rogue's lap, already falling back asleep while his mate blushed furiously. Natsu was making a valiant effort to keep his eyes open, but Gajeel didn't need Cobra's supernaturally good hearing to know that the Fire Draygn's thoughts were focused solely on when the coffee the Titania had mentioned would be produced. Gajeel looked next to him, and Cobra was blinking too fast to be truly awake. Sting, Natsu, and Cobra had dipped the heaviest into the Fae wine that was offered the night before, and it was showing.

"Seriously, shut up," Cobra growled under his breath, and Gajeel just smirked.

"If memory serves me well, it normally took the combined efforts of both Igneel _and_ Voeda to get you out of bed in the morning whenever you visited, your Majesty," the king shot back, one eyebrow raised high over the other. There was a moment of silence before they both began to laugh, Metalicana nearly bent in half as his mirth echoed loudly throughout the room. Gajeel couldn't help but stare at his father in shock, surprised at the casual mention of his mother. Voeda wasn't a taboo topic, per say, but there was always a hollowness to his father's eyes whenever she was mentioned.

Now there was just a fond remembrance as the two recounted various tales from when they were growing up, and Gajeel realized the before before this trip, he hadn't even known just how _often_ they had seen each other over the years. It seemed to Gajeel that Ardelle had made the trip to Fiore dozens of times before the untimely passing of her mother, Titania Josya.

"The morning after Igneel's nineteenth birthday is still the most interesting morning I've ever spent in Tamoe's Keep," Ardelle said with a mischievous curl to her lips, and Gajeel was startled to see his father turn a deep shade of red.

"You helped plan that," he accused.

Ardelle shrugged, grinning. "That was all Voeda, old friend."

"Oh, _I'm_ the old one?"

"You're the one with gray in your hair, _Tetsuryu."_

Metalicana opened his mouth to retort, but the sight of every Draygn snapping to attention seemed to rob him of his words. "Oh thank gods," Natsu nearly moaned as the unmistakable smell of coffee drifted into the hall. Not a minute later, the doors on the far wall were pushed open, and several faeries quickly made their way to the table, laden with platters full of food. Wendy began to stir at the smell of breakfast, rubbing her cheek against Gajeel's shoulder.

"Is it time to eat?" she murmured, wrapping her hands around Gajeel's arm. He pet some of her hair back from her face, bumping his nose against her temple.

"Almost," he said. "We're just waiting on the princess and then we can eat. Better sit up now." Wendy whined quietly, and by the time Gajeel got her sitting properly in her chair, all of the food had been spread out and the faeries were quickly leaving the room. One faery with blonde curls seemed to hesitate by the doors before rushing back over to Ardelle's side, shooting the Draygn's a shy, nervous smile. Gajeel recognized her as one of the poor souls Natsu had dragged into a dance the night before.

"Your Majesty," she began quietly, speaking under her breath in an attempt to keep the Fiorans from hearing her. Gajeel wondered how much the Fae really knew about Draygns - for example, their enhanced hearing -, and if maybe one of them should mention to Titania Ardelle the fact that Cobra could _read minds_ before they were accused of spying. Next to him, Cobra snorted.

"Oh gods, someone accusing me of doing my job," he said softly. "Say it isn't so." Gajeel began to laugh, but abruptly cut off when the Titania's chair scraped loudly against the floor as she jumped to her feet, the stately faery looking at the wide-eyed maid with a similar expression. He had missed something important, he realized, and could tell his father was about to ask what had happened when the doors opened for a second time.

Princess Levy walked into the room, yawning into her hand as she made her way towards her mother's chair at the head of the table. It was easy to tell she had just woken up; from the silken robe that was slipping off one of her narrow shoulders, to the dazed way she shuffled into the room. The whole dining hall had frozen, with Ardelle and the blonde faery watching Levy with matching expressions of panic, and the Draygns unsure of what to do.

Thin, tan fingers pushed back wild blue curls, and Gajeel noted that Levy's hair was completely unbound; no braids or fabric to tame the messy strands that fell to her hips. It was distractingly appealing, along with the peek of bare legs that was revealed every time her dark red robe parted as she walked forward. His mouth seemed to go dry again as golden eyes peered out from under heavy eyelids, and if he could feel his fingers, he'd probably be reaching for one of the pitchers of water on the table to moisten his suddenly-parched throat (or to dump the whole jug over his own head, either or).

"_Iibwalen, Matim,_" Levy murmured, voice still thick with sleep. She stopped at her mother's side, pressing a kiss to Ardelle's cheek. "_Nahven ta mebrii?_"

"Levy_, naabahl, iiwa-_" Ardelle attempted to grab her daughter's wrist, but Levy had already moved further down the table, seemingly oblivious to the Draygns' presence. Gajeel watched with wide eyes as she passed Sting and Rogue, stopping just beside Natsu to reach past him and grab the urn filled with coffee.

"_Boonat, ma oltnaa seevi caavin-la,_" she said, taking a whiff of the strong coffee and sighing in relief. She reached out blindly for a mug, frowning when it didn't immediately meet her fingertips. Wendy, now wide awake and watching the princess curiously, grabbed her own empty mug and passed it to Levy with a quiet, "Here you are".

"_Geijah_," Levy said, nodding her thanks to Wendy as she took the mug and began to pour the coffee out. She had set the urn down and was reaching for the milk when she froze, eyes flying wide open as she stared at her own outreached hand. The princess's eyes slowly rose, her hand beginning to shake as her eyes met Gajeel's over a plate of toast.

The awkward silence was almost suffocating as the two stared each other down, Gajeel's attempt to smile reassuringly ending in more of a sheepish grimace. The color had drained from Levy's face, and Natsu looked like he was ready to catch her should she collapse. The whole room seemed frozen, waiting for the princess's reaction, and Gajeel assumed that she had been unaware that they would be joining her and her mother for breakfast.

"Levy?" Ardelle said softly, and her mother's voice seemed to snap Levy out of whatever stunned state she had been in. She snapped upright so quickly Gajeel could practically hear her spine snapping back into alignment, nervously pushing her hair back and out of the way, trying to make it seem neater than it was. She gripped her coffee mug like it was all that kept her from running out of the room. It shook dangerously in her hands, and both Sting and Rogue scooted away should she splash them with some of the hot beverage.

"Ah," she started, her voice weak. "G-Good morning, Prince Gajeel." Levy dipped into a graceful curtsy, but seemed to think better of it when her robe slipped further down her shoulder, revealing the strap of her nightdress. She snapped upright again, clutching her robe closed with one hand and her coffee with the other. She nodded towards Metalicana, murmuring a greeting to him as well. The color had come back to her cheeks, but now she was flushed a dark red that almost made her look feverish. Even her blush was beautiful, but Gajeel knew that now was not the best time to be thinking about anything but reassuring her that she had no need to be embarrassed.

He made to stand, but Levy stumbled a couple steps back before he could straighten himself out, shining eyes trained firmly on the floor. "Please excuse me," she said quickly, her voice choked. She didn't bother making any further excuses, she just took her coffee and tried to leave the room as quickly as possible without running. She held her head high, but Gajeel could smell salt water, and he winced as the doors closed behind her with a muted thud.

Ardelle looked like she was moments away from racing after her daughter, her beautiful features crumpled in defeat as she instead had to watch the blonde faery from before go after the princess. She sank back into her chair, hands pressed to her face as she cursed in the old Fae tongue under her breath. She only looked up when Natsu crouched at her side, hand on her shoulder as he watched her in concern.

"Aunt Ardelle?" he asked softly. "Is everything alright?" The Titania sighed, patting his hand with a small, fond smile.

"Not exactly, dear," she admitted. "But this was no one's fault but my own. I had believed that Levy would realize that you all would be joining us after I told her we were eating in the main hall, but I forgot that she tends to get terrible headaches after using too much magic at once and that her thoughts might have been a little clouded this morning." She turned to look at Gajeel now, grey eyes wide and imploring. "Don't hold this against her, it was my mistake."

"I wouldn't have held it against her either way," Gajeel quickly reassured. "My father could tell you dozens of stories of me coming to breakfast in a worse state. I just hope she isn't too upset."

"Upset isn't the word," Cobra said, covering his ears. "'_Deafeningly mortified' _would work a bit better." Ardelle watched him with furrowed brows, and at the other end of the table, Metalicana sighed.

"You were right, Ardelle," he said, rubbing his face with one broad hand. "I think we may have rushed into this."

"I had hoped…" Ardelle started softly, eyes closing as if she was in pain. "Skies above, we're fools." Natsu sat himself on the arm of Ardelle's chair, not hesitating to pull the smaller woman into a hug. Gajeel was tempted to go offer his father the same comfort; the weight that he had seen disappear from Metalicana's shoulders when Gajeel had first agreed to meet Levy had returned and seemed to hang heavier than ever before.

Cobra looked towards Sting and Rogue, dark eyes hard with determination. "Why don't you two get some plates put together and take Wendy outside to eat?" he said, less of a suggestion and more of a command, and Gajeel was grateful for it. He well and truly had no idea what to do, and was glad someone else was giving directions while he gathered his thoughts.

"What?" Wendy protested as the other two Heirs nodded. "No, I want to stay!"

"Wen," Gajeel said softly, taking Wendy's small shoulders in his hands. "I need you to go with them, just for now. We have a lot to discuss, it seems."

She looked like she was about to protest, but Gajeel knew his exhaustion was starting to show in his face, and after a few tense moments, she nodded slowly. He sighed, rubbing her cheek with his thumb as he smiled thankfully at her. "You can go take some food to Charle and go look for Juvia, if you like? I think we lost her," he joked weakly, and she nodded again. Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, Wendy made a plate for herself and her handmaiden before joining Sting and Rogue at the doors, the three giving the remaining occupants of the room one final, worried, glance before leaving out the same door the princess had.

Gajeel turned his eyes to Natsu, but the Fire Draygn had already set his jaw, daring the older Heir to make him leave Ardelle's side, and he sighed.

"Alright," Gajeel said, standing up and bracing himself against the table. "If we're going to make this work, we can't have any more miscommunications. I don't know what's going on," he said honestly. "I nearly ruined everything last night by shoving my foot in my mouth, and the maybe thirty seconds before she realized we were here is the only time I've seen Levy relaxed since I met her. We need to do _something, _or this alliance is going to drown before we even have a chance to risk flying into the sun."

"We don't have time to ease into this," Cobra said, reclining in his chair with his arms crossed. He was in business mode now, and Gajeel always felt a little better in rough situations with Cobra at his side. "We can moan about how this was rushed, but the fact is we don't have the time. _Fiore_ doesn't have the time." Both Ardelle and Metalicana were staring at the two with wide-eyes, and Gajeel wondered if they were maybe being a little cruel by being so blunt.

"They need to hear it," Cobra said off-handedly before refocusing on the two rulers. "This was the best choice you could make in an awful situation, and no one blames you for that, no matter how things seem to be starting. You two were up 'til dawn talking about exactly this, and I trust that you will be fair with what you decide to share and what you decide to withhold. We all have secrets," he said with a shrug, "and there are things that Gajeel and Levy can only discover from the other. But we, at this table, all have to be on the same page."

"How did you know-"

"-That you and Metalicana were up talking all night?" Cobra finished, quirking an eyebrow at Ardelle. The Titania frowned at him, irritation flitting across her features. "My hearing is more powerful than any Draygn you've met before. I can hear the blacksmiths beginning the day's work on the opposite side of the island. I can hear the _Drakon_'s crew starting to wake back in the guest quarters and all over the island. I can hear your daughter and her maid making their way to the princess's room." His gaze was unwaveringly locked on the Titania's. "I can hear your thoughts at this very moment."

"Actually, he can hear them all the time," Natsu said with a shrug. "It's annoying as _hell."_

"Erik Ativall," he said with a nod, "Seventh Heir of Fiore and Head of the Espionage Division of the Fioran Military, at your service, your Majesty. You and your daughter's thoughts and secrets are safe with me, I swear to you."

Ardelle looked like she was about to slip into shock, and Gajeel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Perhaps we should all have a bit to eat before we get started," he offered, reaching for the coffee urn that the princess had grabbed not ten minutes before. He had a feeling he was going to need it to get through the upcoming conversation with his sanity intact.

Maybe they had some of that Fae wine from last night laying around as well...

* * *

_Matim _(ma-tim) -_ Mother (borrowed from Atlantis)_

_Naabahl _(nay-ball) - _beloved_

_"Iibwalen, [Matim]"_ (Eye-bwah-lin) -_ "Good morning, [mother]"_

_"Nahven ta mebrii?"_ (Nah-ven tah meh-bry) -_ "Did you sleep well?"_

_Iiwa_ (eye-wah) -_ wait_

_"Boonat, ma oltnaa seevi caavin-la"_ (Boh-nat, mah olt-nay see-vy cay-vin-lah) -_ "Sorry, I've got an awful headache"_

_Geijah_ (guy-jah) -_ thanks (informal)_

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_Hooray for early updates! Managed to bang out 3k words on Thursday and figured I might as well get this up because why the heck not? __Lots of foreshadowing and juicy details in this one, and I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts and theories! _

_So this will probably be the last update on this story for the year, for multiple reasons. I'm currently **super **unemployed. Things Happened at both my jobs, and I've been trying to find something for nearly 4 weeks now. I really need to focus on that. I will also be trying to update some of my other fics before the end of the year, so look forward to that. I want to update Nest fic before the end of November at the least. With all that said, the next update will probably be in **January!**_

_Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments and birthday wishes! And all the people faving and following both this fic and some of my other stuff! You guys are the best! We're about to break 200 reviews, and I'm so thankful for all the love and support._

_If you guys have questions about the fic so far or some of the characters that haven't shown up yet, leave 'em in a review and I'll try to answer all the ones that aren't spoilers for the rest of the year! Thanks again so much you guys, and see you here again in 2016 (or maybe earlier, who knows~)._

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Hey guys, Silv here! So, I've gotten a lot of reviews that are rather confused about this point in the story, so I figured I'd go ahead and clear it up now.

None of the current Heirs are related by blood. They refer to each other as 'cousins' only because there isn't really a word for '_magical-dragon-blood-political-cage-match-opponent-sibling-person_'. Cousin is the closest word to how they view each other, so it's pretty much what they stick with. This is same reason why they refer to all the previous generation Heirs (i.e. Metalicana, Igneel, Voeda, and so on) as their aunts and uncles. It's mostly for simplicity's sake.

On that note; **_yes, Sting and Rogue are an Item in this fic. _**They're mates. Gay mates. Gaytes, if you will. Good rule of thumb when reading my fics; if they don't explicitly state that they are straight, they probably aren't. There will be more about their relationship later, since I'm getting close to spoiler territory, but yeah, they're gay together.

In other news, I am happy to report that I currently plan on having the next chapter out on the **15th of January. **I am now employed (YAY!), but I just finished moving and my grandmother recently passed, so I didn't get as much done as I really wanted to before the new year started. The next chapter is pretty close to done, so I will have it up in January.

See you all then!


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Please do not use without my consent. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts._

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**_Warning: This fic contains some material that may be triggering. (Mentions of anxiety attacks)._**

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Levy was a coward.

She couldn't deny it any longer, and despite Lucy's insistent - and loud - disagreement, she knew it was the truth. She was a coward, and that was the end of it. Why else would it be that after nearly _two full days_, Levy still couldn't manage to look any of the Fiorans in the eye?

After her embarrassing display at that first breakfast… Levy's stomach still twisted at the thought of it, tears pressing at the back of her throat. And it had all started so well! The welcoming dinner had been a complete success! And Levy had found, much to her surprise, that she genuinely liked the Prince. Gajeel was charming, and kind, and had a wit that could keep up easily with her own. Watching him carrying a sleeping Wendy as carefully as if she were his own daughter had melted Levy's heart with disarming ease, and her heart had begun to thud just a little faster whenever he was around.

And then she had walked into breakfast practically naked and ruined everything.

Levy groaned quietly, her forehead 'thudding' against one of the rungs of the ladder she stood on. There was practically no one else in the library at that hour, so she didn't have to worry about disrupting any other visitors. After all, it was a beautiful day outside; a rare, cool breeze blowing across the island and tons of fluffy clouds in the bright sky. Levy would normally have been outside, enjoying the day with Lucy or visiting Cana and Cornelia at their stall, but she didn't want to risk running into any of the Draygns on the island. The only reason she had gone ahead with the journey to the library that morning was because she had reread each book in her room by the time dinner had rolled around the night before, and she had known that she'd be terribly bored by lunch if she didn't find something new to occupy her time.

Dinner and breakfast were some of the only times she had seen the Blood Prince in the past two days, and the whole atmosphere had been stifling and awkward. Some of the Heirs - like Sting, Natsu, and Wendy - had done their best to try and keep conversations flowing around the table, but some suffered under the same curse of speechlessness that she did. Rogue had spoken only with Sting in low whispers, looking as if ready to bolt from the room at any moment, and Cobra had been eerily silent as well; claiming that an awful migraine had been plaguing him and that showing up was the most that could be expected from him.

Gajeel was the worse by far. He barely spoke, even to the other Heirs, and when his eyes weren't studying his food with intense focus, they were aimed at her. At the dinner of the first night - where Levy had shown up dressed and groomed to perfection and barely holding back the urge to scream as all eyes landed on her - he had tried to make eye contact with her throughout the whole meal, only seeming to answer direct questions that had to be repeated several times in order to get his attention.

At breakfast the next morning, it was very much the same. He picked at his food and tried to catch her eye, and she hardly moved her eyes from her lap and tried not to make a fool of herself once more.

By dinner time, he had given up; the occasional glances shot her way being filled with hurt and agitation. She'd offended him, obviously, and now she waited for Metalicana to tell them with forced-civility that all of the Fiorans would be returning home by sunset.

She'd ruined everything once more, and the thought made her want to curl up in a tiny ball and weep.

Levy bit down hard on her bottom lip, blinking rapidly to fight back the tears that pressed at the corners of her eyes. The height of her shame had to be when she had run into Gajeel in one of the halls in the palace when she had been on her way to apologize to her mother. The Blood Prince had straightened up at the sight of her, a determined set to his lips and eyes seeming to glow from within; powered by an emotion that Levy had been unable to determine. Bowing to her in greeting, Gajeel had begun to say something when panic gripped Levy's throat like a vice, shaking her clear down to the tip of her tail. She couldn't bear the thought of what he might have to say about her careless blunder, and so with only the barest - and admittedly panicked - greeting and excuse Levy could muster, she ran.

She'd been hiding ever since, unable to watch as the consequences of her actions stoked the flames devouring her hopes for salvation into an inferno, but equally as unable to look away.

"Having trouble, your Majesty?" a soft voice called from below where Levy stood on the ladder, and the princess looked down to see the small librarian hovering a few inches above the floor, several books almost seeming to orbit around him. Must be returning them to their proper places.

"I'm fine," she reassured, repeating the words silently to herself several times. _I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine I'm fine_. "Just set the ladder too far away from the book I wanted. I'll figure it out."

"Of course," he said with a small smile, bowing to her before flying around the corner and out of sight. He knew Levy to be trustworthy and knowledgeable about the library, seeing as she tried to spend as much of her free time in the large, brilliantly-lit building as possible. They tended to leave her to her own devices, trusting her to know how to properly behave while in the building.

Too bad that Levy was too mentally and emotionally exhausted to worry too much about etiquette at the moment.

Looking both ways to check for any more workers or patrons and seeing that the room was empty, Levy looked up at the ceiling of the building. Roots from one of the many trunks of the Tenrou Tree functioned as a canopy of sorts over the top of the old building; one of the things that had been here back when Mavis's ships had first landed on the shore of Tenroujima. They covered any of the large holes in the stone, and served to stabilize the whole structure. There was one root in particular, curled under the ceiling to support a crumbling part of the roof, that was about as thick as Levy's hips were wide, and she grinned.

"_Kahva_," she cooed quietly, lifting one hand to beckon at the root with a curl of her pointer finger. The end of the root curled towards her, as if drawn in by an invisible force, and she smiled wider as it began to make its way towards where she stood on the ladder; moving faster the closer it got to the draw of her magic. It curled helpfully into a small platform by the rung she was standing on, and Levy's bare feet shuffled carefully onto the tightly-curled root. Using both hands, she grabbed hold of the long end still attached to the tree, and with that it required little more than a thought for her to move to where she needed to go.

Levy breathed in deeply, reassured by the way the root warmed pleasantly wherever it touched her bare skin. She would always have the island; no matter how badly she screwed up or how many people protested against her blood right to the crown, Tenroujima would always love and support her. In return, Levy would defend its shores as if it was her own body under siege. The beaches were her fingers and toes, the Tenrou Tree was the curve of her spine, and its people all were encompassed in her heart.

So why couldn't she face down one man to protect her right to serve the faeries and home that she loved!?

Grabbing the book she had been searching for from the shelf with more force than necessary, Levy directed the root to lower her close enough to the ground so she could hop off, twisting the island breeze to support her as she dropped the last several feet. The root curled back into it's place with a last, light, flick against the curve of her shoulder; a caress that made Levy feel like a child being soothed by a patient mother. She made her way towards the doorway that led to the bridge connecting the library to the palace, making sure to wave at the librarian on the way out.

She hadn't technically checked out a book since she was a child, but only because the librarians would have to go through several logbooks in a single month just to keep up with the ravenous way Levy seemed to devour their vast selection of material. Gathered over the years of traveling from when the Tenroujima Fae were nomads that sailed the sea, the Tenrou Library was the grandest and most expansive Fae library in the world. There was everything from historical texts, to fables and myths of old, to journals kept by everyday faeries, and Levy loved each and every one.

The Princess made her way swiftly through the twisting hallways of the palace, making sure to use her tie with the island to check for any nearby persons that could run into her. There seemed to be no Draygns - or faeries - around, and Levy proceeded towards her quarters. She was nearly there when there was a sudden shout from outside the large window she was passing that made her freeze.

That was Gajeel, it had to be. The faery quickly moved to press herself against the wall, clutching her book to her chest and trying to calm her frantic heart. Had he seen her?

After what felt like an eternity, Levy slowly twisted herself to peer through the window, wings fluttering nervously against the restraining jacket she wore as her golden eyes scanned the outside.

She was several hundred feet above the medium-sized training grounds situated behind the palace. It was where Levy herself typically trained with her swords instructor, and Levy was reminded again of how thankful she was to have a whole week away from her… _intense_ teacher. Besides herself and some of the palace guards, most faeries tended to train at the larger grounds on the other side of the island. But today, a rather large group had formed, and it seemed two Heirs were the the cause of it all.

Natsu and Gajeel stood back to back, hands raised in defensive positions as several guards circled them. Levy counted five of them facing off against the two princes, and even more than that off to the side nursing their wounds. Whatever training they were doing, they had been at it for a while, and it looked like the two mainlanders were giving the faeries quite a challenge.

One of the guards leapt forward with a yell even Levy could make out from her vantage point, and two others quickly followed in an attempt to rush the Draygns. Before they could reach their targets, however, the two princes were already moving out of the way; Natsu darting behind the guards while Gajeel launched himself straight at them. He caught the fist of the first guard, using his momentum against him as Gajeel yanked his arm forward and smashed his elbow into the guard's throat. While his opponent was trying to catch his breath, Gajeel kicked his legs out from under him and shoved him into the guard behind him. They both crashed into each other and to the ground, followed closely by the guard that Natsu had been fighting

Every movement the Blood Prince made flowed together seamlessly; he followed through with every kick, every strike with his fists led into his next block or attack, every motion served a purpose.

It was breathtaking to watch.

Levy balanced herself against the window sill, enraptured as she watched the two face off the remaining guards. Natsu said something that Levy wasn't able to make out across the distance that separated them from her window, but Gajeel's head fell back with a loud bark of laughter, and the following smirk made her knees suddenly and alarmingly unsteady. Her tail was flicking back and forth behind her, in time with her quickening heartbeats.

Gajeel was facing off against a more familiar face now, and Levy watched as Jet shot into the air to avoid the Heir's fist. Her friend twisted in the air with a speed few faeries could match, and judging by how narrowly Gajeel dodged the kick aimed at his shoulder, he was having difficulties as well. He spun around to try and keep track of the quick fae, and ended up meeting Levy's eye instead.

Levy's warm smile dropped as her expression twisted to match her sudden panic, and she straightened from where she had been leaning on the sill. Gajeel seemed frozen as well, but then his lips pulled down into a frown, and the twisting guilt and fear in her stomach enabled her screaming mind to take control of her body once more.

Levy's back met the wall again, her heart frantically trying to beat its way out of her chest. That had been a stupid, _stupid_ move on her part; what would Gajeel have to say to her now that he caught her watching him? He hadn't looked pleased to see her by any stretch of the imagination, and her hands were shaking as she clung tighter to the book she had borrowed from the library. If she had had any hope that her disastrous entrance the other morning and her attitude since hadn't rendered any hopes for their engagement completely void, that hope had burned fast and hot at the sight of his expression; leaving nothing but an empty heat in her chest and the lingering taste of ash on her tongue.

Expression crumpling, Levy let her head fall back against the wall as she took a shaky breath. She really had been forsaken if this was the kind of luck she could expect to follow her for the rest of her life.

"Who're we spyin' on?"

The princess screamed in shock, her book falling from her hands as she recoiled away from the sudden audience she hadn't known she'd had. Standing in a position similar to her own - back to the wall and facing forward - was Prince Sting. Blue irises peered at her out of the corner of his eye, and he had a grin on his lips that creased his cheeks with matching dimples. Levy stared at him in shock, heart still trying to pound its way out of her chest from when he had scared her witless.

Sting ignored her shocked expression, turning so he could sneak a look out the window and making a small noise of understanding. "Ah, that would do it," he muttered, ducking back behind the safety of the palace's wooden walls and offering Levy a grin. "He's got his grumpy face on, he doesn't normally look that nasty."

The reminder of the elder prince's current feelings towards her snapped Levy out of her shocked daze, and all of the muscles in her shoulders tensed. She quickly tried to compose herself, pushing back the curls that had already begun to fall from her braid and taking a deep breath through her nose.

"My apologies for my behavior, Prince Sting," she said demurely, one shaking hand lifting the hem of her skirt so she could properly curtsey to the Draygn. "I didn't realize you were there-"

"Watching you spy on my cousin?" Sting finished with a smirk, and the shaking in Levy's hand got worse. Her carefully practiced smile didn't budge an inch. "You know, despite his bad attitude, I know he wouldn't mind if you actually went down to watch him and Natsu spar," he offered.

Her smile shook.

"That is a very tempting offer, but unfortunately, I have to go help my mother with some political business at the moment," she lied, smiling sweetly. "Something about organizing which platoons we would send back with you and the King at the end of the week, I believe?"

"Ahhh," Sting said with a nod, tapping his thumb against his bottom lip as if in deep thought. "I better let you get back to it, then!" Levy nearly sighed in relief, but then Sting pulled out from behind his back the book she had dropped when he had scared her, holding it out towards her with a winning smile.

"Don't want to forget your very important reference book," Sting said, still smiling as the color quickly left Levy's face. He looked it over with a critical eye, and Levy cursed herself for borrowing a novel that had been one of her childhood favorites instead of a book on war strategies or something else that would support her lie.

"I was... it's for later," she tried explaining, knowing that her lies were sounding less and less convincing as Sting quickly pulled out the wind from her sails. The Heir gave her a look that showed as much; a playful grin with one eyebrow quirked high, asking her _"Are you really still trying this?"_

Yes, yes she was. They might both know she was lying, but as long as she stuck with it, he couldn't call her bluff, and she would be free to go back to hiding in her room.

Coward.

"I'm sure her Majesty wouldn't mind too terribly if we took a quick detour," Sting said easily. "She's had you for the past two days, after all! We hardly get to see you!"

"My apologies, there were unforeseen circumstances that came up that needed both of our attention."

"Of course, of course! It's a real shame, I know Natsu has been wanting to spend a day with you opening all those late birthday gifts," Sting continued casually, like he wasn't making guilt twist her stomach into knots. "And Wendy's still singing your praises to anyone who will listen."

"Th-that's very kind of them," Levy murmured, clasping her hands together so tightly she was sure that she'd lose all feeling in them soon.

"After all," he continued, "Gajeel's the only one staying past the end of the week right now. Actually, why don't we go steal Natsu!" Sting's smile seemed to light up the hall. Levy felt ill.

"We should probably leave him to his training-"

"He gets enough of that at home, he only has four more days to spend with you."

"I-I should go ask my mother-"

"I'm sure your mother will understand, she's the one who invited us after all."

The tension in the hall was thickening quickly, and Levy wanted to scream. Why wouldn't he just let her leave!? "I'm really rather busy," she said with an edge to her voice, but Sting just kept smiling. His easy-going manner didn't reach his eyes, which were like hard chips of ice that peered into her fragile, trembling soul.

"You have to talk to him," Sting said in a honeyed voice, making it clear which _'him'_ he was referring to, and Levy wanted to bolt. "Just for a few moments, that's all-"

"_**I can't!**_" Levy snapped, her voice cracking and hands shaking so badly she feared she'd never be still again. Sting had fallen deathly silent, staring at her with wide, shocked eyes, and Levy felt _raw_.

She hadn't meant to show any of the Fiorans just how frail she really was. Igneel didn't know; he hadn't been to the island in years, and had only heard about what had happened through letters with her mother. He wasn't the sort to discuss Ardelle or her own problems with anyone outside of the island (with an exception maybe for her cousin), so none of the others would have known when they had come to the island. Her mother had told her about the conversation she'd had with Metalicana, Gajeel, and one of the other Heirs after Levy's mistake at breakfast and had been sure to mention that she had discussed - in private - with Metalicana what had happened. So the King knew as well, but what he chose to do with that information, she didn't know.

Her hand moved to cover her mouth shakily, hyper-aware of how Sting's eyes bore into her. She needed to go, needed to find someplace in private to lick her wounds. But the privacy she craved was not granted to her, for as she began to back away, a calloused, tanned hand gently curved around her shoulders and began to lead her away from the window.

Goddess, she hoped Gajeel hadn't heard her outburst.

Levy let Sting lead her wherever he wished, knowing that she wouldn't be able to wriggle away from his firm grip. Not to mention that without his solid presense next to her, she might very well crumble to the ground and never be able to get up again. It felt like weights had been tied to her ankles to keep her grounded and she had somehow gotten her whole body tangled in the chains. If there was any mercy to be found for her, it was that Levy had managed not to break down into tears after her outburst. Her eyes, in fact, felt painfully dry, and she blinked rapidly to try and quench the burning.

They passed hall after hall, the prince a silent guide as he lead her through the twisting passageways. Levy knew the palace like she knew her own skin, which was how she knew that Sting had no idea where he was leading them. He just moved them forwards through the halls, searching for a niche that suited his needs.

He seemed to find it in a small waiting room meant for visiting dignitaries to use while waiting for an audience with the Titania. Ushering her inside, Sting made sure to lock the door after them before leading her to a chaise. He broke his temporary silence with a soft "I'm sorry", and Levy met his eyes with her eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"I hadn't meant to push you that far," Sting clarified, rubbing her upper arm soothingly. She sank into the touch with a rough inhale of breath, letting her fingers grip tightly to the plush cushion she sat on. "I had hoped that if I nudged you a bit towards Gajeel, you two would be able to work things out and some of this awful tension would go away," he admitted, "but I didn't realize… Are you alright?"

Levy's lips worked around a silent answer, unsure of what was the best course of action. Did she admit to all the fears she had barely even voiced to her mother, letting them all out in front of a virtual stranger in tear-soaked gasps? Should she just smile and dismiss the whole thing, pretend it was a result from all the stress of the past week and try to push the whole interaction as far under the rug as possible?

She had a feeling Sting wouldn't let her get away with the latter - Light Draygns were known throughout Ishgar for their honesty and forth-coming, the damned things - and Goddess knows Levy would never forgive herself if she submitted to the former. Not after another moment of weakness not even three days earlier had cost her so much. So she settled for something caught in between; the princess shook her head softly, not daring to look at Sting as she quietly murmured "I'm fine".

Levy repeated the reassurance when Sting stayed crouched at her feet, his thumb carefully rubbing her knee through the soft cotton of her skirt while he looked up at her in concern. "I'm fine!" she tried again, this time with a small, feeble smile and a watery laugh.

"People that are 'fine' don't snap like that," Sting countered, and Levy inhaled slowly, deeply.

"Really, I'm just-"

"Stressed," Sting interjected, moving to sit by her side. "And about three seconds away from an anxiety attack by the looks of it. If you're not going to speak to me, at least talk to someone else. Maybe your mother-"

"No!" Levy gasped, grabbing Sting's sleeve in a white-knuckled grip. "Please, please don't tell my mother," she begged, suddenly feeling tears pressing at the back of her throat. "She's already so disappointed, I can't... I can't give her some new embarrassment to deal with. Please." The strength in her voice had tapered to a near-silent whisper by the time the last 'please' crossed her lips, hanging between the two as they stared at each other. Up this close to the prince, Levy realized for the first time that despite being taller than her, Sting was far younger than she was. Hadn't King Metalicana mentioned at dinner that he and Rogue were still doing their two-year tours? He couldn't be older than 20.

"Do you think you're an embarrassment?" Sting asked quietly, and Levy didn't have an answer for him. _Did_ she think of herself as an embarrassment? A disappointment, definitely, but an embarrassment?

"Look at me," Levy murmured, letting go of Sting's sleeve to clutch her own arms protectively; like she was trying to hold herself together while the rolling emotions in her chest attempted to shatter her completely. Her wings moved again against her jacket, and she winced. "I'm not exactly what people expect when they meet the future Titania."

"What, stuck-up and boring?" Sting tried to joke, his smile faltering when Levy didn't move. The attempt at humor hung heavily in the air for a moment before Sting sighed, scratching his jaw nervously. "If I may, your Majesty," he began slowly, like he was unsure where his thoughts were going, "you seem to be a wonderful princess. I wasn't kidding earlier when I said that Wendy was still singing your praises."

"Wonderful princesses don't show up to breakfast half-naked then hide from their guests for nearly two whole days."

"Is that what this is about?"

"It's not just that," Levy groaned, pushing herself off of the chaise as she began to pace across the length of the room. Sting watched silently as she went back and forth, stopping only to struggle with removing her jacket and then setting it disdainfully down when she couldn't bring herself to throw it against the wall like she truly wanted to. Her wings were twitching like mad, and she cursed herself for having such an obvious tell. "It's just- I mean... Nothing ever wants to go right for me!" Yes, good, way to totally gloss over the true issue.

If Levy wasn't so sure that Sting actually kinda liked her, his expression would suggest that he wanted to throttle her. Maybe he did.

"So you decide hiding from your problems is your best option?" he asked, crossing his arms and frowning at the still-pacing faery.

"No! I mean, yes. I mean- I don't know!" Levy exclaimed. She carded her fingers nervously through her hair, hissing in frustration when several of the braids that held her hair back caught on her fingers. "I couldn't-"

"Couldn't what, face the consequences of your actions? So you came to breakfast in your pajamas, I could tell you a dozen stories of times I've done worse."

"It's not just that!"

Sting groaned, glowering at the princess who glared back in response. "Then what is it!?" he demanded.

"I have an image-"

"Oh, so you're just putting on a show!? Is this a game to you?"

"No!"

"Then what is it!"

"I can't mess this up again!" Levy yelled, and outside the window, Levy could see the sky begin to darken. Inside, however, Sting's frustration had been replaced by confusion again, and Levy cursed herself for not being able to control her tongue or her temper. "I... I have to be perfect," she murmured, tugging on her fingers as she finally stopped pacing and refusing to look at Sting. "If I'm not, I'll fail again."

The room was tense and silent for several moments, and Levy was left to wonder if her wings would be able to support her just long enough for her to get a good flying start when she took a leap out the window. "... You've done this before," Sting said finally, voice hushed with understanding.

Levy sighed, her shoulders curling closer to her chest. "What, embarrassed myself in a very public manner?"

"Been betrothed."

Levy nearly bit her tongue clean in half.

Sting was nodding now, blue eyes wide. "It all makes sense now," he said, thumb tapping against his bottom lip again as he processed his own thoughts, nodding quickly. "What happened last time?" he asked, and Levy stared at him in horrified shock. The Heir visibly came back to himself and had the good sense to look sheepish. "If I may ask, your Majesty," he finished.

It took several seconds for Levy to find her voice again, and when it had, all she could manage was a squeaked "I can't-".

"Princess, as adept as I am at pissing people off at bad times," Sting began, "I promise that I really am trying to help. We all kinda figured you needed some time to cool down after that breakfast thing - even though you did nothing wrong," he was quick to add. "You had been so tightly-wound at the welcome dinner, and we didn't need Cobra's hearing to know that you were mortified by what happened at breakfast-"

"Oh, so it's Cobra that can hear people's thoughts?" Levy asked, both out of genuine curiosity and a desire to move the conversation away from whatever past entanglements she may or may not have been involved in. Ardelle had told her all about the Heir with the phenomenal hearing, but not without a bit of grumbling at the lack of forewarning from the Fiorans. Metalicana had had to grovel at her mother's feet for at least a whole evening to get back in her good graces after that.

Sting continued like she had never interrupted. "So Gajeel thought it was best that we give you some time to recenter and all that, but then you just kept ignoring us, _especially_ Gajeel, and underneath that terrifying face and the muscles, he's really kind of sensitive and no one was doing anything about it so I-"

"Was this going somewhere?" Levy sighed, collapsing back onto the chaise tiredly.

"If it was, I lost it," Sting admitted readily, and a small smile tugged at Levy's lips. "I think I was trying to get to this; by keeping all this locked up, you're not just hurting yourself - which, by the way, you are. I've never seen anyone look so tired and yet so harried at the same time." His thumb brushed just under the dark circles Levy knew were under her eyes like bruises. The touch managed to be comforting despite how sudden and intimate it was and how little Levy really knew Sting.

"You're hurting Gajeel too, and even if this whole marriage thing doesn't work out, you're still going to be Titania in a few years, and Gajeel might be the king. In order to work together, you have to be able to talk to each other. In order to do that, you have to be able to look him in the eye."

Levy inhaled deeply, trying to silence the voice in her head that was screaming at her to hold her tongue, not to tell Sting anything he didn't need to know. But deep down, she knew he was right. She had to face her fears, had to face Gajeel, and in order to do that she had to be able to forgive her own mistakes. Talking about it might help.

"... Last time, I-" she began, only to be cut off by Sting.

"So there was a last time?" he asked, looking excited to be right. The princess's glare quickly shut him up however, and he nodded quickly. "Yes, sorry, keep going."

"Last time, I... He was from some big merchant family in the mainland, their eldest son," Levy began, tugging on her ear. "My marrying him would mean we would have all sorts of connections to Ishgar, along with more secure trade routes. If I could have done that, no one would be able to say I was unworthy to be Titania." Sting waited patiently for Levy to continue her story, letting her take the time to build up her nerves. "We exchanged letters for nearly a full year, and he was..." Levy grimaced.

"An awful person?" Sting guessed.

"Very self-assured," Levy countered. "He knew why we were talking - knew what our relationship would mean - and was happy to bring it up every chance he got. I had hoped that when he came to visit after that year, I would be able to judge him face to face, and even if we couldn't make a marriage work..." She sighed, bringing her knees up towards her chest so she could hug them loosely. "I ruined everything," she whispered. "He took one look at me and spat right in my face. The arrangement fell to pieces, my people distrusted my ability to rule more than ever, and I was left to try and keep moving forward despite it all."

Sting was quiet, and there was a heaviness to his gaze that made Levy think that of all the Heirs she could have told this story to, he may be the one who could understand her the most. "My original statement stands," he said after a few moments. "He sounds like an awful person."

Somehow, Levy was able to smile, even just for a moment. "I thought, this time, if I could just hide most of my flaws well enough, I wouldn't be turned down again," she said quietly. "I wouldn't give myself a chance to fail. But I ended up making myself so sick and anxious trying to be perfect for the Blood Prince that I screwed up anyways." Levy was actually feeling rather nauseous now, like her stomach had twisted itself in nervous knots. "After that, I was so scared of what the fallout would be that I hoped if I could just stay away long enough, I at least could avoid being spat at again."

"Gajeel would never," Sting quickly insisted.

"I know that," Levy responded just as quickly before faltering. "Or, at least, a part of me knew that."

"The other part was just so scared that you automatically assumed the worst to protect yourself," Sting murmured, almost more like he was talking to himself. When he noticed Levy's questioning look, the prince just grinned ruefully and shook his head. "I know a thing or two about trying to meet expectations and fearing what might happen when you don't," was all he said, fiddling with a ring on his left pointer finger made of black glass so dark it almost looked like a mirror.

The two fell back into silence, only instead of being thick with tension, it was comforting and warm. Levy let herself be tucked against Sting's side, the two both lost in their own thoughts. Levy noticed for the first time that it was raining softly outside, despite how the sky had been clear and blue earlier, and she could only hope that it would clear up soon.

"What should I do now?" Levy asked after several minutes had passed, staring at the ceiling with a pensive frown.

"Forgiving yourself would probably be a good start," Sting mused. He was also looking up at the ceiling, and Levy wondered if he was looking for answers in the ancient wood like she was.

"That's the hardest part, though."

"Then maybe start by giving Gajeel a second chance." Sting twisted in his seat so that he could meet Levy's eye. "He's a hard ass, but if he knows you're sincere about wanting to try and get to know him again, he'd be willing to give you a second chance. Heck, I don't think he's actually angry so much as worried." Levy's brows furrowed together in confusion.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Apparently he said something to the Titania that pissed her off the first night we got here, and so he's also afraid he managed to screw everything up," the blond explained. "He thinks he pissed you off too, and that's why you haven't spoken more than three words to him since the other morning. He's really mad at himself, but he's trying to project it on you so he has a break from all the self-flagnation and brooding."

Levy only grew more confused. "What did he say?"

"Dunno," Sting replied with a shrug. "No one's said a word to me about it, I just saw your mom snarl at Gajeel and then storm off. She's talking to him now, so I guess it wasn't too bad if they worked it out." Levy nodded slowly, frowning. She'd have to ask her mother about it later. "But!" Sting said suddenly, rocking himself forward until he was sitting upright. "We can worry about that later!"

"We can?" Levy asked nervously, watching as Sting stood and faced her with another bright smile.

"I believe you have a Blood Prince to court, your Majesty."

Any protests Levy could have voiced were left where she had been sitting when Sting took her hands and pulled her out of her seat, not even giving her a chance to grab her jacket before he was tugging her down the halls. He ran through corridor after corridor, and she could only try and keep up with his long strides as she stammered nervously at his back. Sting had very quickly figured out that the fastest way down to the island from the Tenrou Tree was to stick to the outside walkways and make his way down, and that seemed to be the plan he was staying with. They made it the ground in no time, although for once, Levy wouldn't have minded if it had taken a little longer.

From there, it was only a simple matter of circling the tree until they made it back to the training grounds. Levy knew her face was flushed an unattractive red, both from the climb down and from the feeling of every faery they passed staring wide-eyed at her wings. It was rare that Levy left the palace without her jacket to protect her, and she found herself keeping pace with Sting easily if it meant getting away from the judgemental stares.

"Good, he's still there!" Sting said happily as they came in view of the training grounds, the remaining faeries making polite conversation with the two Heirs as they all cleaned up and nursed the bruised bodies and egos, hiding under one of the Tenrou Tree's roots to get away from the drizzling rain. Gajeel looked highly distracted as he talked with Jet about something or other; mechanically going through the motions of pulling his longm wild hair away from his sweat-slicked neck and into a loose bun.

"Gajeel!" Sting called out, ignoring Levy's hurried whispers for him to hush, and much to her embarrassment everyone stopped to look at them. They must have made quite a sight; the grinning Fioran prince racing towards his fellow Heirs with the princess of Tenroujima stumbling after him with flushed cheeks and a terrified expression, both of them with their legs and feet caked with mud.

Gajeel's eyes widened, and he quickly made his way through the amused crowd to meet the two halfway. "Sting, what in the twelve heavens are you doing?" he asked lowly, trying to keep his voice down so the interested soldiers he had left behind couldn't hear them. His eyes strayed to Levy for a split second before jumping back to Sting, and Levy could feel her blush darken.

"Levy here has something she'd like to ask you! Don't'cha, your Majesty?" Sting said with a bright smile, dragging a frozen Levy to stand in front of him and patting her back.

"She does?" Gajeel asked, straightening and looking at Levy with a confused frown.

"I do?" Levy squeaked, meeting Sting's eyes with her own expression of panic. Sting gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze, tapping his thumb against the curve of her jaw gently.

"Yes, you do," he said, giving her one last meaningful look before backing away. "I'll be over with Natsu if you need me!" he said brightly, nodding respectfully to Gajeel before giving him a cheeky salute, and then he was gone. And Levy was alone with Gajeel for the first time in two days.

_Jjel_, take her now from this wicked world.

Gajeel watched him go with an expression caught somewhere between exasperation and annoyance, muttering under his breath while pinching the bridge of his nose. Levy was still frozen, almost as if every muscle in her body had clenched up the second the Blood Prince's red eyes had landed on her.

"That child doesn't have a subtle bone in his body," Gajeel grumbled, slowly turning back to face Levy. "It's a miracle Rogue has managed for this long." When he finally looked at her again, his expression once again shifted into something unreadable. If Levy had to hazard a guess, then he was feeling some degree of wary anticipation. Goddess, he looked angry. Perhaps Sting was right and Gajeel was just as nervous and scared as she was, and not as upset as the downward curl to his lip would suggest.

Levy immediately wanted to smack herself for that thought. Of course he was nervous, it was an arranged marriage. If he wasn't, she would have thought him mad. Didn't mean he couldn't be mad at the same time.

"You look well, Princess," Gajeel said slowly, clinically, bowing at the waist to her. Levy felt like a small animal that Gajeel was aiming not to spook too. Well wasn't he lucky then; with her feet frozen to the ground, it would be impossible for her to leave anyhow.

"I feel awful," Levy said without thinking, and concern flashed from behind Gajeel's strange mask, followed by a hint of anger before the unreadable emotion was back.

"I'm sorry to hear that-"

"A-about how I treated you," she blurted out, rudely interrupting the middle of his sentence. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind. In fact, it appeared like she had managed to turn the poor man into the iron from the land where his father hailed from. She tugged nervously on the peak of her ear, suddenly finding Gajeel's bare toes very interesting.

"I... your Majesty?"

Levy sighed, letting go of her ear to rub her arm instead. "I'm so sorry," she repeated: softer this time, but no less filled with emotion. "For ignoring you these past two days. There's no excuse for my behavior," she inhaled deeply, "and I can only hope you'll give me a second chance."

Gajeel was still staring at her with wide eyes when she finally managed to look up at him. His mouth opened and closed around answers he couldn't find, and the reminder of her own actions earlier when Sting had caught her off-guard in a similar fashion made the princess laugh once under her breath, biting down on her lower lip to keep the sound further contained. Gajeel finally settled on "I... thought I had upset you."

Levy shook her head, looking back at the ground. "I was ashamed of how I had acted, the first morning you had arrived," she said softly, "a-and afraid of how you'd react. I was too much of a coward to face you, so I hid instead."

"... Wait, the breakfast thing?"

Laughing with a roll of her eyes, Levy nodded. "Yes, the breakfast thing. And as many people have apparently forgotten all about it, I'm starting to believe I overreacted," she said with a bitter grin. Part of her was relieved, but a small, indignant part of her was almost upset. She had spent a good three hours having an anxiety attack in Lucy's arms that morning, and everyone else just forgot?

Just once, she'd like to be reassured that her fears weren't so completely irrational so that she wouldn't feel shame souring her mouth whenever the truth of it came to light.

A large, calloused hand gripped her shoulder, and Levy looked up in shock only to be met by Gajeel's chest. She had to crane her head back even further to meet his eyes after he had taken a step closer to her, and was surprised to see he looked a little abashed. If he was still mad at her, she couldn't find any of that anger in the way he looked at her.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said quietly, and Levy was once again frozen to the spot. "Just because I didn't understand the significance of it at first doesn't mean it didn't have any, and it definitely doesn't mean you overreacted."

"It also doesn't mean I should just be forgiven for it either," Levy murmured, hesitating for a moment before placing her hand over Gajeel's. His hand was warm, and grounded her when her thoughts and emotions wanted to drag her in twenty different directions.

It was nice.

"I shouldn't have avoided you," she said with a sigh. "I punished you for my own shortcomings, and put my own fears before both of our countries. There's no excusing what I've don-"

"You're not made of stone, Levy," Gajeel said firmly, and she felt a shock move through her whole system, leaving her nerves singing. He'd never called her by her name before, and judging by how wide his eyes had gotten, he realized that fact a few moments after she did. "Princess," he quickly amended. "Your fears and emotions are valid, especially now. If we're going to... I-if we end up... With our-"

"Engagement?" Levy offered, pressing her lips together to hold back her growing smile at the Blood Prince's obvious embarrassment.

"... Yes, that," he muttered, flexing the hand that still rested on her shoulder. "We have to be able to trust each other with those fears if we're going to make any sort of r-relationship work, whether as... um-"

"Spouses." Levy wasn't trying to hide her grin now.

"Right, yes, s-spouses, or even just as diplomats." Gajeel took a deep breath, and when he met her eyes again, his red irises were burning with determination. "So, what did you have in mind for that second chance of yours?" he asked, one corner of his lips pulling up in a grin. Levy's knees suddenly felt weak once more, and she wondered distantly if her tail was swishing back and forth again.

"I'm not doing anything tomorrow," she breathed. "Would you perhaps like a private tour of the island?"

Gajeel nodded, his grin growing. "That sounds wonderful," he said with a nod, taking a step back from Levy and taking his hand away from her shoulder. Levy's cheeks burned when she didn't remove her hand fast enough, instead let it trail on top of his much broader hand until it fell limply back to her side. "I'll see you at dinner then?"

"Yes, I'll see you then," she confirmed, smiling brightly as the anxious knots in her stomach loosened up. It was a liberating feeling, and she made a note to find a gift for Sting while she was out tomorrow to thank him for helping her.

Her determination only grew when that evening, after she, her mother, Gajeel, and Metalicana had all already sat down for dinner, the remaining Heirs all walked in together with messy hair and wide smiles, and all wearing their pajamas.

* * *

_I love Sting. Have I mentioned before that I love Sting? Sting._

_Not a very long author's note this time around since I'm a little pressed for time, but long story short, this is the beginning of Levy's whole arc and one of the motivations of a lot of the things she does and how she acts. This was a big step for her to confide in a virtual stranger, and I hope I got that across well._

_Next chapter is pure Gajevy fluff and the introduction of another character I'm really excited for. I'm going to try to get to monthly updates, but with my work schedule I don't know how well I'll be able to pull that off. The tentative date for the next update is the **last week of February. **Any changes to these plans will be posted on my writing tumblr, do-fairys-have-tails._

_Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, and to all the people who have faved and followed both me and this fic. The fic has now passed 200 reviews, 40,000 words, and 75 pages in the main doc. I can't wait to see where the next year takes this fic!_

_See you guys in February, and happy belated New Years!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Fairy Tail. All original characters and concepts belong to me. Please do not use without my consent. Cover art is property of Kwesi Abbensetts._

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**_Warning: This fic contains some material that may be triggering. (Mention of non-fatal choking, a character being overstimulated, and mentions of anxiety)._**

Just a reminder that these warnings are a precautionary measure to make this fic equally enjoyable for all readers! What may seem like not a big issue for you or I could be a big deal for someone else. If there is something in the fic that you think needs to be mentioned in the warning, feel free to comment or send me a PM to let me know!

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Even living in a place as large as the castle in Fiore, Gajeel had grown up with little to no privacy. Around every corner, someone would be working or cleaning or decorating, all under the watchful eyes of Charle's mother, Shagotte. The kitchen was never quiet, with cooks working around the clock to feed the large number of court members that called the castle home. It was like a colony of ants tucked into the mountain side; constantly buzzing with motion and noise. Even when he had been on his two-year tour, the barracks were so crowded and loud that he would have gladly given all he had to go back to the familiar noises of the castle.

Gajeel remembered the day he first got his personal study, thinking that he finally had a private space all his own that wasn't his bedroom. It was quiet, had a wonderful view of the cliffs surrounding the castle, and his cousins gave him about half an hour to enjoy his delusions of tranquility before bursting in to wreck it. Gajeel had retained that lesson well ever since.

There was no peace or privacy for a Blood Prince of Fiore.

His fellow Heirs, however, still liked to remind him of this fact from time to time.

It had started with Natsu, the younger Draygn happily standing from the breakfast table as Gajeel pulled out Levy's chair for her and asking brightly "So what're we doing today?" Both Gajeel and Levy had frozen, looking at Natsu with matching expressions of confusion; which were apparently hilarious, judging by Wendy's poorly concealed snort of laughter.

"Well, _we're _going on a tour of the island," Gajeel said, offering Levy his hand as she stood. "I don't know what you're doing today."

Natsu didn't get the hint. "A tour sounds great! Where are we heading first?" he asked, still smiling brightly as he practically bounced to Levy's side. The princess gave him a small smile, but Gajeel could see how tense she had gotten. As an only child, she probably didn't have a lot of experience dealing with pushy relatives, but that was Gajeel's area of expertise. If he was lucky, one of his fellow Heirs would have mercy on Levy and distract Natsu long enough for them to get away. But a quick glance at the Draygns still sitting at the table, he knew there would be no help from them. They were all wearing the same shit-eating expression that Gajeel knew from years of experience meant he was in trouble.

"Don't you have something else to do today?" he asked, raising his eyebrows ever so slightly at the younger Draygn.

"Not until four."

A growl was building in the back of Gajeel's throat when Ardelle cut in with a small smile and laughter in her voice. "Why don't you accompany me this morning to a few meetings I have to attend?" she offered.

"That sounds _boring_, though," Natsu whined, causing Metalicana to give him a warning look over the top of his mug while Cobra snorted a laugh into his breakfast.

"Exactly," Ardelle said with smirk, pointing her fork at the pouting Draygn. "Imagine how less tedious it would be if you were there with your beloved Aunt, keeping her company?"

Natsu frowned at her suspiciously, his eyes narrowed. "How often does that work for you?" he asked.

"Every time your father visits," the Titania said with an innocent smile. Natsu considered her for a few moments more before shrugging.

"I'll accept that," he said with a grin, sitting back down and helping himself to another serving of breakfast. Gajeel quickly nudged for Levy to follow him out of the room while Natsu was distracted, and the two made a clean getaway into the hallway.

And then Wendy had popped up right as they were about to exit the palace.

"I wanted to visit Cana today!" she chirped happily, latching onto Levy's arm with an innocent smile. "Do you mind showing me where her stall is again?" Levy looked up at Gajeel with a sheepish smile, gesturing to the young woman helplessly, and Gajeel nearly groaned aloud.

"Come on, Wen," he said, ruffling her hair as he passed, "let's get you to your faery."

"Thank you Gajeel," Wendy sang, and when he turned to tell her it was no big deal, she was grinning at him in a way that made shivers run down his back and suspicion take root in the forefront of his mind.

When Juvia was waiting for them at Cana's stand, wanting to discuss something with Levy about the "fascinating" tidal trends on Tenroujima and leaving him to Cana's questioning, the suspicion turned into an itch.

When Rogue walked up to the pair while they were looking at some journals in the market and stuttered at them for a solid minute before turning on his heel and quickly walking away - while a voice that sounded suspiciously like Sting's hissed at him to not be a coward - the itch grew into a burning ache.

When Sting followed them for several minutes, chattering away like he hadn't a care in the world, and had to be dragged away by a flustered Rogue after Gajeel's growling reached a volume that threatened violence, Gajeel nearly screamed in frustration.

Then Cobra appeared at his side with a strange, native fruit in his hand, looking bored with the whole situation as he calmly informed both Gajeel and Levy, "I'm here to spy on you."

Gajeel couldn't stop himself from groaning loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he contemplated faking his own death and disappearing off the face of the planet just to get some peace. "At least he's being honest about it," Levy said wearily, and Gajeel peered at her from the corner of his eyes. She looked exhausted, and it was barely noon.

"Sting had the best intentions, but you two don't need chaperones," Cobra said, "or the stress." He gave them a pointed look and Gajeel wondered whose brain he had pulled that from.

"Ah, so you're the one that reads minds," Levy said with a small smile, her cheeks beginning to darken.

Oh. Shit.

"'Hear thoughts', not read minds," Cobra corrected, taking a bite of his fruit.

"There's not much of a difference," Gajeel reassured Levy.

"Oi, it matters to me."

"You agreed to this whole _'chaperone'_ thing, I owe you exactly zero favors right now."

The Poison Draygn sniffed disdainfully, inspecting the fruit in his hand. "And here I was going to let you two escape while I was 'distracted by the crowd'," he said disinterestedly. Gajeel's head snapped towards him, and he could feel Levy's tail flick against his calf as she perked up in interest.

(No, the sensation did not send shivers down his spine, he was fine.)

(Stop smirking, Cobra.)

"Would you?" Levy asked, sounding hopeful. Gajeel instantly felt guilty, knowing that they hadn't had any peace because the other Heirs were all being protective of him. He hadn't been very quiet about his frustration with the Princess during the two days she had avoided him, but having seen how nervous and scared she was while apologizing to him had been almost like an awakening.

For him, if the marriage didn't work out he could just go home. He'd still be in the running for the Fioran crown; he wouldn't have to leave the castle where he grew up, where he'd spent his last days with his mother. Yes, they'd have a harder time fighting the Pergrande armies, but they'd managed so far, and Fiorans were a resourceful bunch.

For Princess Levy, if their betrothal didn't work, she would lose _everything_. Her crown, the respect of her people, her home. No wonder she was constantly on edge.

Having her every moment with him being carefully observed by a bunch of virtual strangers had to be like walking on coals for her, especially since she was already nervous. One glance at Cobra confirmed his thoughts, and he was overcome by the urge to find a quiet spot to just let Levy sit down and unwind for a few moments. Gajeel wasn't a huge fan of the crowds of Fae that were constantly watching them either, so he wouldn't mind terribly if their "tour" was put off for another day.

"You two head towards the center of the marketplace," Cobra said, leaning down to get a better look at the daggers that Gajeel and Levy had been inspecting together moments before his arrival. "I'll wait a few minutes and then I'll tell the others that I lost you in the crowd. Rogue already wants to head back, so it shouldn't be too hard to convince Sting to let you two be. Your Highness," he said, looking out of the corner of his eye at the very interested princess. "Gajeel would love it if you were to take him there."

Levy glanced at the taller Draygn before looking back at Cobra shyly. "Are you sure?" she asked, and Gajeel would gladly travel to the nearest active volcano for a swim if it would stop her from sounding so unsure.

"Of course," Cobra said with a smirk. "There are very few people in the world that know Gajeel's head better than I do. And while we're here, I would like to give you the same assurances I gave your mother. Your thoughts and secrets are safe with me, Princess Levy, I swear to you."

"If you're truly in my head, then you know my response already," she said with a small smile.

"When one can listen in on thoughts others' do not always want to share, it's best not to assume anything, your Highness."

"All right; then I thank you for your discretion. And please, call me Levy."

Cobra laughed, grinning at the princess and the visibly-startled Blood Prince. "Thank you for your trust in me, Levy. Now, you two had better make a run for it; Rogue's got Sting distracted and you can make a clean getaway if you go now."

Gajeel needed no further urging from the grinning man, and judging by how well she kept up with him as he began to run towards the center of the market, Levy didn't either. The two made their way quickly through the crowds, only stopping when they had to call out an apology to any irate faeries they bumped into as they passed. Gajeel kept his eyes on Levy's swinging blue braid and the golden, sleeveless jacket she wore over her dress as not to lose her in the crowd, slightly envious of her smaller stature that allowed her to pass through the tightly-packed crowd with ease.

"This way," Levy urged, grabbing his hand before making a sharp turn, leading him down an alleyway so narrow Gajeel's shoulders nearly scraped the walls. They darted past homes and tiny shops, under clotheslines that Gajeel nearly had to bend in two to successfully avoid and up winding stairways, until the colorful buildings disappeared; leaving just the two of them alone in the Tenroujima jungle.

"Where are we going?" Gajeel asked, not entirely minding that the princess was still holding his hand. It was interesting, having her much-smaller hand wrapped around his own, and even more interesting having her be the one to initiate the contact.

"To visit a friend of mine," she said cryptically, turning her head so she could grin over her shoulder at him. "Don't worry, the other Heirs won't be able to find us there."

"You're underestimating their determination," Gajeel said with a small grin, shaking his head. But Levy's grin only got wider.

"And you're underestimating mine," she replied teasingly, seemingly giddy from the small amount of freedom they had been gifted with. She let go of his hand so she could run further ahead, and Gajeel was almost so confused by her statement that he didn't notice the loss. The princess came to a halt underneath a large tree and, much to his confusion, began the tedious task of untying her sandals. They were laced up to her knees in a complicated, crisscrossing pattern that Gajeel couldn't begin to understand, but Levy began to untangle them with practiced ease, using the tree as a brace. Her slitted skirt parted as she lifted her leg, and Gajeel rushed to her side to help her stay upright just so he had something to do instead of stare at her tan, freckled thigh.

"Why does our escape require you to take off your shoes?" he asked as he offered his hand to her, eyebrows furrowed together.

"Sorry, _Jji-ooba_ won't let me in the house if I show up with sandals on," Levy admitted. She dropped her first sandal on the ground before switching legs, taking his hand with a grateful smile. "He says it messes with the natural flow of magic since it blocks us from the island."

"I... see..."

Levy laughed, and the sound made his heart trip over several beats. "It sounds odd, I know," she said, "but trust me, it'll make sense soon."

"Do I need to take off my shoes too?" he asked, looking down at his boots.

"Not until we get there," Levy said, shrugging shyly. "I just like it this way." She peered at him from under long, blue curls of hair, and Gajeel suddenly felt like he was being tested. Not necessarily on what he'd do, but on how he'd react to what _she_ was doing. After that first morning when Levy had arrived at breakfast in a sleepy state of disarray, Gajeel hadn't seen her when she was anything less than put-together; hair carefully styled, clothes perfectly in place, and shoes on.

She had also looked ready to jump out a window.

Watching the princess throw her golden sandals carelessly to the ground while wiggling her toes in the grass felt almost intimate, like she was giving him a peek at the woman behind the title to see if it was something he could handle- or if _she_ could handle _him_ seeing. With a small smirk, Gajeel pulled his boots off as well, tossing them next to hers after he tucked his socks inside. He was curious now, and was willing to play by her rules to see where it would take them.

"Lead the way," he said, grinning, and the princess blushed prettily.

"It shouldn't be too far from here," she said, turning and beginning to trek through the thick vegetation. There wasn't any visible path Gajeel could see, but Levy strode forward confidently, occasionally making a turn or small adjustment in their heading. As they walked deeper into the jungle that sprawled across what Gajeel knew to be the southern half of the island, he began to feel almost a tingling sensation running from the balls of his bare feet all the way to his fingertips. It was an odd feeling, almost like the way he could feel the residual magic in the castle back in Fiore whenever he walked through the halls; seeping into his blood and bones until he felt well and truly at home. This sensation was more raw, in a way. Less of an echo of a symphony played long ago and more like feeling the vibrations from the orchestra through the floorboards as the music swelled in real time.

Levy turned to look at him over her shoulder again, and smiled. "Starting to feel it?" she asked, and Gajeel nodded slowly. "Feels like you're suddenly full of energy, like you could run for miles and never tire out?"

"What is it?" Gajeel asked, and Levy beamed at him, robbing the breath from his lungs.

"The island saying hello," she chirped, the hem of her sleeveless jacket fluttering around her thighs as she hopped over a fallen tree. He followed after her carefully, looking around the jungle they were in as if he were expecting someone to jump out yelling "Hello, Gajeel!"

"It must really like you," she continued, moving her skirt out of the way as she made her way up a small, steep incline. "Normally it takes a few hours for newcomers to start feeling it once they enter the jungle."

"Wait, the _island_ likes me?" he asked, coming to a halt. "Like, it's alive?" Levy stopped, shrugging at him. She was still smiling, and Gajeel wondered what he had done right to earn such an expression from her.

"You know how sometimes, magic lingers?" she asked, turning to face him and leaning against a nearby tree. Her eyes were positively glowing, and Gajeel was enraptured. "How if the emotion is strong enough, it sinks into the foundation of a building for dozens of generations to remember?"

Gajeel nodded. "The castle in Fiore is like that," he said, and Levy's smile grew wider.

"Well here, the whole island soaked it up," she said. "The magic here is so thick that it naturally draws things like that in. Battles from before my people were here, the hopes of a new kingdom when we docked on its shores, the struggles of all the years since; the island took it in and remembered it all."

"So," Gajeel said slowly, looking up at the canopy of leaves and vines overhead with wide eyes, "it formed a consciousness of its own using the magic it soaked in?"

"It made itself a heart," Levy said, tapping her own breastbone with a finger. "Those of us who are connected to it can feel it the strongest, but it's present everywhere. The beating heart of Tenroujima; kept by the people that it loves."

Gajeel nodded slowly, looking around the jungle with a new respect for the land he stood on. It was lush and green, and even this deep in the jungle, there were ribbons and bells tied to different branches and strung from tree to tree. If the island truly lived and loved the Fae, it was clear the Fae loved it back.

"That's incredible," he murmured. "I've never heard of anything do something like that. Buildings, yes, battlefields, yes, but whole islands?"

Levy smiled sweetly, stroking the bark of the tree she was leaning against lovingly. "It's one of a kind," she said softly.

"I'm guessing it likes you too, huh?" Gajeel said, finally approaching her. She shrugged shyly, tugging on the peak of her ear.

"I _do_ spend more time on the ground than most faeries here," Levy said, looking away from him with a wry smile. "You could say we're close."

Gajeel held his hand out towards her. "And your friend?"

"_Jji-ooba_?" she asked, taking his hand and letting him pull her back upright. "Oh, he knows the island better than anyone, even my mother. He's been here for longer than most faeries have even been alive."

"Sounds like my grandmother," Gajeel said with a smirk, following Levy as they once again began to make their way through the jungle. "Some days I swear she can actually talk to the castle walls. We could never get away with anything when I was younger! She'd always know." Levy giggled, covering her grin with her hand.

"And now?" she asked, still grinning.

"With Cobra and Kinana and Sting and Rogue, I don't think Grandmother _wants_ to know anymore," he said wryly, and Levy burst out laughing. It was a fuller sound than Gajeel expected, louder than someone so small should be capable of making. It compelled him to laugh along, and he did so gladly.

"S-sorry," she said between bouts of laughter, covering her mouth again to try and hide her smile. Gajeel shook his head, still chuckling.

"It's fine, Princess," he said. "It's funny to think about. She constantly has this pinched expression now, like she smells something rotten."

"Does she not like that they're married?" Levy asked curiously.

"Cobra and Kinana are married," Gajeel clarified, "Rogue and Sting are mated, but technically not married yet. And you could say that." Levy's eyebrows scrunched together.

"There's a difference?" she asked, and Gajeel nodded.

"It's kind of in-depth," he said with a shrug. "Marriage in Fiore is the same as it is most everywhere else; two people being joined by law so they can spend the rest of their lives together. But for two Draygns to be mated is something... _different_. It's one of the 'perks' that comes with the whole 'Dragon blood' thing," he explained, making air quotations as he talked.

"_Aay_," Levy said, nodding. She looked like she was about to ask further, but they turned a corner and suddenly a large, stone building sprawled out in front of them. It looked like the jungle had taken the building over; vines clinging to every wall, plants jutting out from where ever there was a crack in the stone. With the midday sun filtering through the leaves overhead, the plant life was even more vibrant and colorful against the cool, grey stones, and Gajeel whistled lowly.

"This is where your friend lives?" he asked, and Levy nodded, beaming.

"Yes! Isn't it amazing?"

"It's certainly obvious that the island likes him back," he said with a bemused grin. They carefully began to make their way down towards the home, Gajeel occasionally reaching out to offer the princess a steadying hand as she made her way down the steep incline. When they reached the edge of the property, Gajeel noticed a familiar man working in the yard, waving his hands over a selection of plants in what looked to the Blood Prince like a vastly overgrown, but still well-tended, garden. Levy whistled loudly, waving her hand once she had caught his attention.

"_Eebwalen_, Droy!" she called out, and Droy waved back with a wide grin. It was the same man that had worked the dragon puppet at the banquet the first night Gajeel had arrived, only now Droy was dressed in casual clothing covered in soil instead of the rich silks and thick canvas he had been wearing that night.

"_Eebwalen_, Levy!" he called back, pushing himself up to approach the two. He reached out to Levy when they arrived, the two clasping each other's arms in greeting. Droy turned to Gajeel and bowed his head respectfully. "Your Highness, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Gajeel returned the bow, his smile much more subdued now. He had never done exceptionally well around strangers, and he didn't know Droy enough for him to be anything but. "The same to you. You did a wonderful job at the dinner the other night; I apologize that I didn't say so to you sooner." Droy surprised him by laughing and punching him lightly in the shoulder.

"No worries! You rather had your hands full, I believe," he said, chuckling. "Levy's not being too rough on you, is she?"

"Droy!" Levy hissed, her cheeks flushing.

"Oh hush, _aabeila_," he chided gently, giving her a look. "Jet told me all about your game of hide-and-hide-better with the prince over here. We were a few short hours from coming and getting you out ourselves when you finally emerged." Levy's flushed cheeks darkened, and Gajeel couldn't tell if he should feel defensive on her behalf, or highly amused.

"_Dro-y!_"

The taller faery laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Easy, _aabeila_, I'm just teasing."

"_Ay's breijja ji-faluut, bwatehn_," the princess grumbled, making Droy grin.

"_Saavehn a~_"

"_Aay, aay, palouna._"

Grinning, Droy gestured towards the house. "I'm assuming you didn't come just to be teased by me. He should be awake, you can go right in," he said.

"Thank you," Levy grumbled, smacking his stomach with the back of her hand as she passed, and Gajeel grinned. It seemed his earlier thoughts about Levy not growing up with siblings were wrong.

"A good friend of yours?" he asked, humor in his voice. Levy nodded, sighing.

"Unfortunately," she said dramatically. "I've known him practically since I was born."

"It shows," he laughed. Levy just pouted. "So, he's not the friend we came to visit?" he asked as they drew closer to the house, and Levy shook her head.

"No, he's related to _Jji-ooba_ though."

"Should I wait out here while you go greet him?" Gajeel asked. "I don't think he'd be expecting me to tag along."

"Oh, don't worry," Levy said, "he probably already knows we're here." Gajeel turned and looked at her with a questioning frown, and she grinned. "You know how Droy's area of expertise is in plant magic?"

Gajeel nodded.

"He doesn't hold a candle to his great-grandfather," Levy said cryptically. "He probably knew we were coming the moment we set foot into the jungle."

"_Shee tambah bor ah ii kav-alhaa!_" a voice called from inside the house, and Gajeel watched as Levy lit up, smiling brightly. He stood stunned on the threshold as she raced into the house, laughing giddily and calling out "_Jji-ooba!_" He'd never seen her smile that brightly or widely before, and it was like staring into the sun.

Once Gajeel could feel his feet again, he made his way into the house, looking around curiously. If the outside of the house looked like it had been overrun by the jungle, the inside had been completely taken over. Lush grass lined the floor, flowers blooming wherever sunlight streamed in through the cracked roof. Vines crawled over the walls and hung from the roof, and various trees blooming with flowers and fruit grew in clusters around the edges of the room.

As Gajeel made his way inside, careful to stay on the dirt path that led deeper into the house or risk stepping on one of the plants that lined the path, the buzzing of magic he had been feeling since leaving the market only intensified into a constant, internal hum of energy. With each step, he could feel the metal ores hidden deep in the rich soil and the stream flowing by the house. He had to stand still for a moment to try and sort it all out, breathing slowly and deeply. Normally it took him hours of meditation with Grandine to feel this attuned to the earth, but the island was practically screaming at his senses, demanding his attention.

"_Ma uuliom uuhai a's Bavaho' wei Tenrohjima, paetii prei,_" the deep voice from before hummed, bringing Gajeel back to his body somewhat. "_Pohya uuhai savv ahl?_"

"Gajeel?" Levy asked softly, laying her hand on his arm. "Are you alright?" Gajeel blinked dazedly, shaking the burbling of a running stream out of his head and trying to swallow down the taste of iron on his tongue.

"Yeah," he murmured, giving Levy a strained smile. "It's a lot of new magic all at once."

"_Draagnis yuul majho' ei wo'ha jha crahtjja aah's tayii, ma na'waalei ahl eis breijja errga'ambai._"

"_Hah'ir awn uuhai wa'omb?_" Levy called back into the other room.

"_Travaj ahl ei co'el._" With a nod, Levy pulled gently on his arm, leading the dazed Draygn further into the home. Gajeel was distantly aware of his feet leaving the dirt path and walking onto stone, but his attention was still split between the reality in front of him and the world his senses told him existed outside his body. He felt his body being led over some sort of short bridge and lowered to a sitting position, and he swayed in his spot. A cool, weathered hand rested on his knee, and suddenly everything stopped.

Gajeel blinked owlishly as all of his extended sense snapped back into place, leaving him feeling heavy and sluggish. The hand on his knee was wrinkled, but strong, with several rings weighing down their fingers. He followed the arm up to find the oddest looking faery he had ever seen looking at him with a grin.

"_Salbaru-mai,_" he said, and Gajeel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Was this Levy's friend she had talked about? The faery truly looked like he was older than the tide, deep wrinkles lining his face. His skin would have been a dark, rich brown if not for the odd green tint that made Gajeel think that moss had begun to grow on him, and the way that his hair grew thickly away from his face reminded the prince of branches on a great, grinning tree. His wings were a milky, opaque brown, unlike the glimmering wings Gajeel was used to seeing around the island.

"_Na-breezha roolah, ya'ahl?_"

"_Brei eylsa,_ _Jji-ooba_," Levy said, kneeling down next to Gajeel with a worried expression. "I'm so sorry," she said with a grimace. "If I had known the island's magic would have affected you so strongly I wouldn't have brought you out here at all. Do you want to go back to the palace, o-or to the market again? It should be fine now-"

"I'm okay, Princess," Gajeel reassured, interrupting her with the hope that if he stopped her panicked babbling she'd take the breath he knew she desperately needed. "I just wasn't expecting it. I'll be fine."

With another quick glance at the grinning faery that sat across from him, Gajeel looked around the room slowly. It was wider than the atrium, and the flora here appeared to be a little tamer. It came to the edge of the large, circular stone platform in the center of the room, growing in neat clusters of plants Gajeel couldn't even begin to name. The stone circle itself led off to a simple kitchen to one side of the room, a sectioned off part with a cot and several jugs and baskets, and the center where Gajeel was with the two faeries. They were sitting on a platform above a pool of water much like the glass one in the amphitheatre on the top of the Tenrou Tree. Small stone archways led to the floating platform, and the water lapped against the edges.

Even with… whatever the older faery had done to quiet his senses, the room was still so soaked with magic Gajeel felt light-headed. It was incredible, and more than a little frightening. The small faery fluttering over him nervously was supposed to rule this island all on her own someday?

Not on her own, he remembered. That was what he was here for.

"_Ahl yuuls majho' fraa galaloht'mei naem Makaroov'ya, waaleijja,_" the faery said, patting Gajeel's knee twice before pulling his hand back. Gajeel braced himself, wincing as he waited for his brain to be flooded by information about the surrounding island again, but everything was still quiet. "_Eita'l brei havaalat, ma guutjah bah'ayeit jha majho' tambatra_."

"_Jji-ooba, ahl na-breezha Maabahrut,_" Levy said, still glancing at Gajeel nervously out of the corner of her eyes. He had hoped getting her away from the crowds and the other Heirs would help her to relax, but maybe she just needed to get away from _him. _The thought made some deeply-buried part of him snarl in annoyance, asking _'Didn't we already give her all the time she needed? Haven't we been more than lenient? Fiore doesn't have time to coddle her.'_

Gajeel mercilessly smothered that voice with a grimace.

"_Oo, ma wah-maahj, paetii prei,_" the faery said, grinning. "_Boh, n'irr a yirahjja soovo'hay?_"

"_Yirahjja… Oo!_" Levy straightened in her seat, cheeks burning a deep red as she looked at Gajeel with a sheepish grin. "Prince Gajeel, this is my good friend and mentor Warrod, son of Arohi and_ Oobai jha Jiima_," she introduced, gesturing to the older faery with a smile. "_Jji-ooba, tiiba Bahl-hoobe jha Fiiore, 'Ajjeel._"

The princess's face pinched oddly, and she covered her eyes with her palm. "Ga-jeel," she enunciated carefully. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

Was it? Gajeel hadn't even noticed, he was too busy picking his heart up off the floor.

The distant, angry voice faded away as the princess smiled shyly at him, golden eyes peering at him through long coils of blue hair. She was _trying_, he reminded himself. Cobra had told him so, the Titania had told him so, Sting had told him so (with an almost frighteningly serious expression for the Light Draygn), and Gajeel could see the evidence of her efforts in front of him. She had gone out of her way to seek him out ever since Sting had dragged her out to the training fields; either to start a conversation or ask for his input. She had invited him into the home of someone who appeared to be one of her very close friends, shoes abandoned somewhere in the jungle and bare, dirty feet splayed out from under her skirts.

As she and Warrod got deeper and deeper into their conversation - speaking the old Fae language so quickly that Gajeel with his _very_ limited vocabulary couldn't begin to keep up - and Levy began to loosen up even further, laughing and teasing him back, Gajeel found himself enraptured. This was what had drawn his attention to her so firmly when the stage on top of the Tenrou Tree had first flooded with light to reveal her slight frame; the energy and warmth the princess radiated was incredible. She seemed to be caught up in the story she was telling to Warrod, gesturing with her hands as she spoke and smiling brilliantly. Her tail was flicking back and forth rapidly, and Gajeel was suddenly grateful that Cobra hadn't followed them. His mental fumbling over how cute the action was to him would have sent his fellow Draygn into hysterics.

Gajeel let himself relax, pulling his feet in towards his body so he could rest his arms over his knees as he settled in to watch Levy and Warrod go back and forth. Even if he couldn't follow the conversation, it was fun to watch their expressions as they babbled at each other. Levy in particular got more and more expressive as the conversation went on and she relaxed further. She would stop occasionally to glance at him, a worried expression on her face, but Gajeel would wave her concerns away with a grin. It was a nice change of pace to not be expected to join in the conversation, and he was enjoying the break after the past several - _stressful - _days.

Gajeel had lost all track of time as he began to look around the room, trying to guess at what each of the plants in the room were good for. By the time Warrod stood up and brought Gajeel's attention back to the conversation, a couple hours had already passed. "_Wuulm a ii Gajeel oltnaa yaaim luceidi, paetii prei?_" Warrod asked Levy, and the princess nodded with a smile.

"_Ata, geijah Jji-ooba,__" _she chirped.

Milky wings spreading wide, Warrod picked himself off the ground and flew over to what Gajeel assumed to be the older faery's kitchen. Gajeel was happy to watch and see what the Fae used as an ice box on the island - a question he and Wendy had been debating on one of the days when Gajeel had been unable to see the princess -, but then Levy turned and smiled at him and his attention was solely on her.

"You still doing okay?" she asked, placing her hand on his bare forearm after a split-second of hesitation. "We can leave at any time if you want to."

"Princess, really," Gajeel said, putting his hand over hers. "If there was a problem, I'd let you know. Whatever Warrod did to help me out hasn't worn off yet, and I'm not feeling as light-headed anymore."

"'_As _light-headed'?"

Gajeel laughed, patting her hand. "Really, I'm fine. A lot of new magic at once can kinda overwhelm a guy." Levy looked sheepish, tangling her fingers into hairs at the base of her braid and pulling a few curls loose on accident.

"Thank you," she murmured. "For coming with me, I mean. I know this probably isn't a lot of fun..."

"But it is very relaxing," Gajeel reassured. "I love my cousins, really, but one can only spend so long in close quarters with them before being driven slightly mad." Levy laughed into her palm, and Gajeel grinned. "It's also nice to see you actually_ relax," _he said before thinking, and Levy's smile tightened at the corners, her laugh turning nervous as she ducked her head. Mentally, Gajeel was cursing enough to turn a storm. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth _shut!?_

"You wouldn't believe how many times I've had someone say that to me today," she admitted quietly, tugging at her ear before stopping and glaring at her traitorous hand. She sighed softly before turning back to Gajeel and smiling. "But I'm fine," Levy reassured him, and Gajeel could almost believe it.

But her eyes were dilated and her smile was tight. Not to mention that her heartbeat was beating such an irregular rhythm that any human would have been having a heart attack. Gajeel didn't have Cobra's hearing or Natsu's sense of smell, but he was the Heir with the greatest sense of _people. _He could read the mood of a room in a moment, and Levy's nerves were practically screaming at him.

Gajeel opened his mouth, but before he could say a word Warrod flew back over with a smile. "_Co'el uuhai irr,_" he said, handing them each a clay cup filled with with something that smelled wonderfully fruity and refreshing. Gajeel took the offered drink, happy for the distraction so he didn't accidentally stare at Levy. She took the glass with a soft smile, thanking Warrod with a nod and taking a long pull from her cup.

The cup was cold to the touch, which was something that Gajeel was very grateful for seeing as the sun was still near its peak in the sky and there wasn't any sort of a breeze on Tenroujima. He'd been warned it would be hot, but he didn't think he'd have to pull out the clothes he normally only reserved for long boat trips with his grandparents on only the fourth day. The thin cotton was already sticking to his back, and he took a long pull from the drink with a quick "_Geijah-ta_".

He couldn't decide if Warrod's laughter was a result of the way he had butchered the pronunciation of his thanks or of the way his eyes had widened the moment the drink had hit his tongue.

The only way he could think of describing it was "Magic".

And not in the good way.

Gajeel choked as the effervescent drink was violently rerouted up his nose, burning as it went and causing his eyes to water and him to drop his cup onto the ground. He could vaguely hear someone laughing as he tried not to choke, and he felt annoyance begin to burn through his panic.

The last Heir of Fiore to be poisoned had been a Sky Draygn nearly six hundred years ago, and Gajeel was not looking forward to being the next on that list!

"Breathe," Levy said between giggles, placing one small hand against his chest as her other began to rub in circles against his back. "You're fine, just breathe."

It took Gajeel a few minutes to get his lungs back under control, and when he had finally managed to sit back up, Warrod was still laughing hysterically. The older faery was nearly falling off the platform laughing, and if his mother hadn't raised him to always be respectful of his elders, Gajeel would have kicked him into the water below. Now that he was breathing right, Levy was having to fight harder to control her laughter, and the reproachful look she was giving Warrod bordered on a grin. "_Jji-ooba_," Levy said, "_a tol aah-va na-oltnaa Bahtiil ei Fiiore._"

"_A-ahl's facha!_" he gasped out between giggles, slowly pushing himself back up until he was sitting upright. The broken clay shards from Gajeel's cup floated back to the kitchen with a dismissive wave of his hand, and he grinned at the frowning prince before looking at Levy. "_Toohbyir preima rir a's tahtanin oltin Bahtiil?_"

Levy's eyes widened before she began to laugh hysterically. She clutched her stomach as tears of mirth began to roll down her cheeks, rolling onto her side as she snorted and laughed inelegantly. Her hair was beginning to fall out of its careful braid and her jacket was so skewed that Gajeel could see her short wings fluttering rapidly.

Gajeel could have sworn she was glowing.

Looking away from the still-laughing princess as he felt his ears begin to burn, Gajeel accidentally met Warrod's eyes, the older faery smiling with a humor that ran deep in the lines on his face. He looked at Levy - curled up on the floor and giggling up a storm as her tail curled and twisted through the air - and back at Gajeel, and _winked._

Gajeel's eyebrows shot upwards, his mouth gaping. Had… Had Warrod _planned _this? Playing a prank on him just to get Levy to relax and laugh? It had certainly been effective if he had, although Gajeel could have done without the "mortal terror" part. As Levy began to push herself up, having to reach out to Warrod for help as her giggles kept sending her back to the ground, Gajeel felt a smile begin to grow on his face, and knew that it had been worth it.

Seeing Levy relaxed and glowing with joy, golden eyes sparkling and twin dimples on either side of her bright smile, was most certainly worth it.

"_Jji-ooba,_" she said as her giggles began to fade, "_brei eylsa!_"

"_Ma ihm eylsa!_" the older faery said with a laugh, holding up his hands in surrender. His laugh turned into a deep yawn, his eyelids drooping heavily. "_Ii roh, ma uuliom eita's rir oor aa wei selbiid,_" he said, holding his hand out towards the atrium. A long, gnarled walking stick was drawn to his palm with a sharp '_snap_', causing both Gajeel and Levy to jump. "_Wa'omb aa yip, Bahl-Hoobe, ii cei ma a jaht'oi wei pohrta'._" Warrod held his free hand out expectantly towards Gajeel, and he knew enough Old Fae to recognize his title and a command when he heard one. He stood too quickly and stumbled as he realized that his legs had managed to fall asleep while the two faeries were visiting, and Levy began to giggle again into her palm. Once he regained his balance, Gajeel helped Warrod to stand; acting as a brace for his surprisingly heavy and muscular body to lean against until he got his feet beneath him. Levy had stood as well, stepping to Warrod's other side to help him.

"_Jji-ooba, yahm aa-_"

"_Ma'tam eit, ma'tam eit_." With a push from his wings, Warrod balanced himself upright and tapped the ground impatiently with his walking stick. "_Kahva uun, ma jaael wei hak'waa selbiid!_"

Levy snuck a look at Gajeel and rolled her eyes, causing the prince to grin. "Is he kicking us out?" Gajeel asked, his voice barely a whisper.

She nodded. "Time for his Majesty to take a nap, apparently," she whispered back, and Gajeel snorted a quick laugh. When Warrod stopped and turned to face them with a suspicious glare, they both smiled innocently back at him.

When they passed back through the atrium, following the dirt path back to the front door, Gajeel was wary of the island's magic pulling him down once again. But Warrod's magic held, and the ore and the stream were a whisper against his senses instead of a shout. Levy's hand hovered near his own, almost like she wasn't sure if her help was needed or wanted, and Gajeel grinned. He followed her out into the mid-afternoon sunshine, taking a deep breath and letting the smells of the jungle fill his lungs.

"_Geijah oor yahmjja hai kahva oovai,_" Levy said to Warrod, easily stepping into the larger faery's open arms and hugging him around the waist. Warrod smiled softly in response, pressing his lips to the crown of her hair.

"_Respeerai, paetii prei,_" he murmured, and Gajeel almost wanted to look away from the intimate moment. "_Yahm Maateim fahgei a'ii a tyah tol ahmbal._"

"_Ii mya Maateim fahgei a wei a's ahmbal ihs wah._" Levy kissed his cheek before trotting back to Gajeel's side, and Warrod's attention was on the Blood Prince. He held out his hand and grinned, and Gajeel mimicked Levy and Droy's actions from before and gripped the older faery's arm tightly just below the elbow. Warrod nodded in approval, taking Gajeel's arm in return.

"_Na-yahm el luuy a erajh'tahnd,_" he said with a grin, and Gajeel looked at a blushing Levy with furrowed eyebrows.

"He's basically repeating what Droy said earlier," she muttered, and Gajeel found himself grinning with Warrod.

"_Ma n'tyah._" Gajeel grimaced at how his tongue felt thick and awkward as he attempted to respond, but Warrod just smiled.

"That's what I like to hear," Warrod said with a grin that only grew when Gajeel's jaw dropped as perfectly-accented Fioran flowed from the older faery's lips with ease. "Now you two get home safe, and don't dwadle! The wildlife on this side of the island always begins to act up around this time of day."

"W-wait! You speak Fioran!?" Gajeel asked, aghast. Behind him, Levy was nearly in tears again as she laughed, clutching the doorframe for support. Warrod just continued to grin.

"Well, of course! Where did you think I lived before Mavis decided to drag me around the world to find this place?" he said with a bark of laughter. He patted Gajeel's shoulder, leaving the prince stunned on his doorstep. "Have a good evening, you two. Give your mother my best, Levy, and don't forget to do your breathing and meditation exercises tonight. Ardelle told me you had several headaches after your performance at the banquet and you should know better after using that much magic."

Levy's "_Ata, Jji-ooba_" was nearly lost in her laughter, but Warrod nodded at her before giving Gajeel one final, cheeky wave and disappearing into the house.

It took Gajeel several minutes to move again, grumbling under his breath about tricky old faeries, and it took several minutes longer for Levy not to burst into fresh peals of laughter every time she looked at Gajeel's frowning face.

"It's not funny," he growled, fighting the urge to cross his arms and pout like a child as they made the trek back through the jungle and back to society. Levy giggled, shrugging apologetically.

"It sort of is," she said with a grin.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew!"

Gajeel rubbed his face with a groan, trying not to let it show how quickly his irritation was fading the more she laughed. "I probably looked like an idiot," he muttered, and Levy patted his shoulder.

"He probably just thought it would be funny to see your reaction. Warrod's sense of humor is an acquired taste," Levy reassured. They had made it back to the tree where they had dropped their shoes, and Gajeel stopped to stare in confusion when he had to look _up _to find his boots. The laces had been tied together and they looked as if they had been flung over the branch nearest the ground, Levy's sandals dangling next to them.

The princess just smiled, hopping up to snatch one of her sandals and tug them down, looping them around her neck. Gajeel took the time to slip his boots back on, but left the laces untied and tucked his socks into his pants pocket.

"I think my palette's still a little unrefined, then," he said with a huff. Levy smiled.

"Give it time," she said, and Gajeel felt his own lips pulling up into a grin.

Time, huh? He could do time. If all went well the next two days, they would have as much time as they needed.

The walk back to the palace was done mostly in comfortable silence, the princess occasionally pointing out a stall or vendor to him as they passed through the market, and Gajeel sometimes leading her through the crowd with a hand barely hovering above the small of her back. They stopped at one stand that was selling some sort of meat dipped in a sweet batter for lunch, and Levy once again fell into fits of giggles as Gajeel hesitantly placed the first bite in his mouth, not eager to repeat the _Bahtiil_ incident from earlier. It was delicious - and safe - and Gajeel happily devoured the treat, finishing up just as they walked back into the palace through the doors at the base of the Tenrou Tree.

"I'm surprised Sting and Natsu haven't hunted us down yet," he muttered, looking around the hall for a flash of either Natsu's distinctive red hair or the sound of Sting's grating laughter. All he saw, however, were faeries milling about their business, bowing in greeting to the two passing royals. Levy chewed on her lunch, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

"I don't think they'll be looking for us," she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes that Gajeel recognized from years of living with Wendy.

"Oh no. What happened."

"We _may_ have passed through a grove of _caalleryahna_ trees on our way to see _Jji-ooba_," Levy mused, one dimple appearing as her lip curled into a grin. "They're known here for their sharp, rotten scent. When you were with me, I could dull the scent so it wouldn't affect you as badly; but for, say, two Draygns trying to track someone using their senses of smell..." The princess let her unsaid words hang in the air, still grinning coyly as she began the trek up towards the living quarters in the palace.

Forget time, Gajeel was ready to propose to her _now._

"You're amazing," he said with no small amount of awe in his voice, and he saw her tail begin to twitch back and forth. "I've been trying to figure out how to get rid of those two for _years._"

Levy stopped on the stairs long enough to turn and give him a bright grin. There was a hint of red to her cheeks that made pride bubble in his chest. "I told you you were underestimating me," she nearly purred. "Knowing how Igneel reacted last time he accidentally caught a sniff of _caalleryahna, _they're probably either sick in the bathroom, or attempting to sleep it off." She stopped and winced. "Actually, now I'm thinking I may have gone overboard."

"Nah," Gajeel said with a dismissive wave, "they deserved it. Is it possible you could teach me how to identify that tree, though?" he asked. Levy laughed.

"Why? Don't want to catch a whiff on accident?" she teased as they stepped out onto the level of the palace where the throne room resided. Gajeel crossed his arms as he bent down to Levy's height, smirking at the blushing princess.

"Well, since a certain _someone _seems to take quite a lot of joy out of watching me be caught off guard," he began, "I'm beginning to think I need to be prepared ahead of time for anything that may come my way." Levy's blush deepened prettily, and his smirk only grew wider.

The princess opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, they both stopped at the sound of an argument coming from the throne room. Gajeel hadn't heard anything when they had been by the stairs, but now the shouting was increasing in volume. One voice he recognized as the Titania's, her voice taking on a tone of anger that he hadn't heard since the welcoming banquet. Her voice was nearly a hiss, and it sent shivers clear down his spine.

The second voice was much deeper than Ardelle's, and their loud shouts felt like they could shake the whole island. Gajeel didn't recognize the voice, and he turned with furrowed brows to look at the princess next to him.

Levy had gone completely still, her muscles tense and her tail curled around her feet. The happy flush had drained from her cheeks, leaving her dark skin looking ashen, and her bright, golden eyes were veiled by a dark emotion Gajeel couldn't recognize. The deeper voice yelled again, speaking the Fae's tongue so quickly that Gajeel wouldn't have been able to recognize any of the words he _did_ know, and she winced.

Before he could ask what was going on, Levy had grabbed his hand and began to walk away from the throne room. Gajeel was sure that his presence was the only thing keeping her from running. He looked back to glance one last time at Titania Mavis's frozen smile before they turned the corner, the shouting slowly getting quieter and quieter as the doors disappeared from view and they left the throne room behind.

They were halfway to the guest quarters before Gajeel spoke up, his hand still clasped in hers. "Princess?" he asked quietly, and Levy never broke her stride. The fabric of her jacket jumped, and he could easily imagine her wings twitching in agitation.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

* * *

_Jji-ooba_ (jay-oh-bah) - _Grandfather_

_Paetii prei_ (pah-tie prey) -_ Little one_

_"Eebwalen, [Droy!]" _(E-bwah-lin) - _"Good afternoon, [Droy!]"_

_Maabahrut _(May-ba-rut) - "_Mother Tongue", the language of the Fae. Called Old Fae by Ishgarians due to the fact that it is a language mostly spoken by Fae not from the mainland. New Fae is a blend of Fioran and Maabahrut, and is the common tongue among Ishgar Fae._

_Oobai jha Jiima _(Oh-bye jh-a Jeye-ma) - _Father of the Island; A title of respect given to Warrod by the kingdom due to his age, power, and role in the creation of Tenroujima. Warrod is known as one of the four founders of the island kingdom._

_Bahl-hoobe jha Fiiore _(Bal-hoe-bae jh-a F-eye-ore-ay) - _Blood Prince of Fiore_

_'Ajjeel - Gajeel's name said in a very heavy Maabahrut accent. It's considered very impolite to the Fae to mispronounce someone's name wrong. Levy is horrified. Gajeel thinks it's adorable._

_Bahtiil _(Baht-eel) - _A carbonated juice served on Tenroujima. It is a mixture of several fruit juices that is given its distinct bubbly properties by magic. It's not a drink found on Fiore. Obviously._

_"Yahm Maateim fahgei a'ii a tyah tol ahmbal" - "__Let the Goddess guide you and you will know peace"; a traditional goodbye between Fae. _

_"Ii mya Maateim fahgei a wei a's ahmbal ihs wah" - "And may the goddess guide you to your peace as well"; a response to the above._

* * *

_Hahahaha I'm not sorry._

_"But Silv," you ask. "Where are the rest of the translations!? There was so much Maabahrut in this chapter and I don't know what it means!"_

_"That's the point!" I bellow from my high, lofty throne. "Gajeel doesn't know what's happening and it's in his POV, so you're all boned, aren't ya!?"_

_By which I mean I only have thirty minutes to finish posting this chapter and don't have the time to make the post on my writing tumblr with all the translations right at this moment. I will be posting it tomorrow when I update the A03 chapter, but I don't have time at the moment. There are translations, I swear! This chapter was a fuckin' monster to write specifically because I wanted the language they spoke to be an actual thing. It's still coarse, but there is definitely the bones of a whole language here. I promise, you aren't losing anything in this first read-through by not having the translations; in fact, I think it adds to it! I will edit this note when the translations are posted to my tumblr; _voedaa.

**Edit: The translations have been posted! There should be a link on my profile page, and if not it can be found on the **voedaa **blog under both **_#vows fic_** and **_#maabahrut_

_With that said, I really do love this chapter. A lot of hard work went into this, and I'm so proud to have it done. Shout out to my new roomie and best friend of almost 10 years for helping me out and letting me ramble at her when I got a headache trying to come up with all the words. Maddie, you're the best!_

_Going to try again to do another monthly update (what do you mean it's already March it's technically still the last week of February I totally made my deadline), and let me tell you guys, I think you're really going to like the next one~ No surprise angst next month, oh no! With that said, I aim to have the next chapter up **the first week of April. **Again, you can follow my writing tumblr, the newly-renamed _voedaa _for updates._

_This fic has almost passed 50,000 words, which is a HUGE milestone for me! Thank you all for your continued support, it truly means the world to me._

_See y'all in April! Don't forget to fave and review, and thanks again!_


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